Bacon & Broccoli Breakfast Strata

Welcome to Breakfast Week on A Squared!

I think it's really easy to get in a rut when it comes to breakfast, always eating the same boring thing morning after morning. Because it's morning and you're tired and in a hurry and that's just what happens. Lately though, breakfast has made a comeback in my life-- probably because my puppy's idea of sleeping in on a weekend is getting up at 6:30 AM, but still... breakfast is back in our house! So, this week on A Squared every post is dedicated to the most important meal of the day: beginning with today's recipe.

This bacon and broccoli strata is an easy, filling, and impressive brunch dish. It doesn't take much time to assemble, but just requires ample time to bake. It's the perfect brunch dish to serve for company because you can pop it in the oven and then relax or prep the rest of your dishes while it bakes away. This recipe makes enough for 3-5 people (depending on how much else you are serving), but could easily be doubled or even tripled if you are serving a big crowd.

The flavor combinations in this strata are classic: sharp cheddar, salty bacon, fresh broccoli, and green onion pair perfectly together. The flavor is kicked up a bit with the additions of mustard, parsley, and a splash of hot sauce. What makes this dish a strata-- as opposed to an omelet or frittata-- is the addition of bread to the baked egg mixture. The bread gives this breakfast casserole a great texture and makes it a complete one-pan breakfast and gives it a fluffy texture that you can't get with strictly eggs.

This is definitely one of my new favorite at-home brunch recipes. This flavor combination is really solid, but the recipe is versatile, so have fun with it-- change up your cheeses, meats and veggies to whatever combination you like best!


Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon
• Olive oil
• 2.5 - 3 cups ciabatta or French bread, cubed
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 green onions, diced (green and white pieces)
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp. hot sauce
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dry parsley
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, coarsely chop and set aside.

Lightly grease a small baking dish (I used a 5" x 7" x 2" dish) with olive oil. Layer the cubed bread evenly in the dish. Follow by sprinkling the broccoli, green onions, and bacon evenly over the top of the bread.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, mustard, parsley, and pepper. Pour evenly over the top of the ingredients in the baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes or until egg mixture is set and not liquidy.

Serve warm.