Overnight Christmas Breakfast Strata with delicious Italian flair; creamy cheesy mozzarella, crispy salty pancetta baked on top and tangy sun-dried tomatoes.
I love all these flavors combined in one perfect bite. The sun-dried tomatoes really give this decadent dish a tangy bite. Then topping this strata with slices pancetta really gives it a crispy salty topping that’s absolutely to die for.
This strata is the single perfect breakfast dish for Christmas morning. It takes minutes to prepare and it’s so easy just to pop in the oven in the morning to bake away while the present opening begins. It feeds a crowd, is so comforting and filling.
If your family is like mine, we’re all about the Christmas morning brunch. We like to do fancy family dinner on Christmas Eve then have Christmas brunch the morning of so we can just relax all day in our pj’s, snack and have leftovers for dinner. It’s a great way to just enjoy the day without stressing about making a big meal the day of. This strata is also a great way to prepare the day before so there’s no worry of putting it together in the morning. Just bake and enjoy!
Prepare this the day before to allow the bread to soak up all the egg mixture. Bake in the oven in the morning for a quick and easy way to get breakfast on the table on Christmas morning.
Don’t forget to pour yourself a much needed mimosa to celebrate! Cheers!
Overnight Christmas Breakfast Strata
Such a crowd pleaser, this breakfast strata is a quick and easy way to get a delicious breakfast on the table for Christmas morning. More time for enjoyment and present opening! Cheers!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 loaf Day Old Stale Country Bread, cubed or torn apart into bite sized pieces {French Loaf, Focaccia, or Ciabatta works great too}
- 8 large Eggs
- 2 1/2 cups Milk
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 cup Julienned Sun-dried Tomatoes
- 1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1 {3 ounce} package Sliced Pancetta, 6-7 slices
- Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish
- Red Pepper Flake, {optional} for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Butter a 3 quart enameled cast iron pan or 9×13″ baking dish. Lay cubed bread in the bottom of the pan.
- Step 2 In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and sun dried tomatoes. Pour egg mixture over the bread and lightly press down using a spatula to completely saturate bread pieces.
- Step 3 Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and lay pancetta slices evenly in a circle around the dish and one in the center.
- Step 4 Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Step 5 Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature while oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until pancetta is crispy and strata is set.
- Step 6 Serve garnished with chopped parsley and red pepper flake or your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
