A Breakfast Casserole – in cake form! All the morning essentials present – bacon, eggs, milk, bread and cheese – it’s a breakfast strata that tastes like a cross between quiche, omelette and savoury French toast with cheesy custardy insides, and a golden crusty surface.
Excellent way to make use of leftover bread. Make it now or leave it overnight, then just pop it in the oven the next day!
Breakfast Casserole – Strata Cake!
Being completely upfront – this is not a real dish as such, it’s just something I made up on a whim back when I first published it over 5 years ago as a way to make breakfast for a group without frying up individual bacon and eggs for everyone.
It’s essentially a breakfast casserole or a savoury bread and butter pudding, made with bread soaked in eggs and milk, scattered with cheese and bacon, then baked until golden on the surface, custardy and cheesy on the inside.
And rather than baking it the traditional way in a casserole dish, I’ve used a cake pan – so you also get golden sides and the fun factor of being able to serve slices of it like cake!
Something different – but you know it’s going to be tasty – right?! I like the way you sort of get “swirls” throughout the “cake”, which are really just the crust of the baguette I chopped up to make this breakfast “cake”!
What you need for this breakfast cake
Here’s all you need to make this breakfast strata – bread, eggs, bacon, cheese and milk. All the breakfast essentials!
Absolutely any bread is fine – I like long breadsticks / baguette-type because you get more “swirls” on the inside because there’s a higher crust to crumb ratio. You can also easily switch bacon for ham.
Also, bonus if it’s stale bread because it holds its form better once soaked in the egg mixture. However fresh works just fine too. The bread used in the recipe video and photos is fresh.
How to make this Breakfast Strata
It’s so easy you can do it even when you’re still half asleep. Though to make your mornings even more relaxing, mix it up the night before then just pop it in the oven the next morning!
Slice / tear bread into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces. Leave the crust on unless you’re using a really thick-crusted bread. Nobody wants super-thick, chewy crust inside when it’s supposed to be soft and custardy!
7 cups bread – You need 7 cups of bread in total, just lightly pushed down to fill the cup. I can’t give you a weight because different breads differ in weight for the same volume. Cup measurements are the best way I can describe it!
Whisk together the eggs and milk;
Soak bread – Mix the bread in until it’s totally soaked through with egg mixture, then stir through most of the cooked bacon and cheese (hold some back for sprinkling);
Pour into cake pan – Pour the mixture in a very well-buttered non-stick cake pan. A springform pan is the handiest but a cake pan without a loose base is fine too because the strata cake holds together well enough to turn it out. If you know your cake pan is prone to being sticky, line it with parchment paper because eggs are the ultimate food glue and added cheese makes it like superglue!
Bake 45 minutes – Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, then remove cover and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden and crusty. Check with a skewer inserted into the centre to ensure no raw egg mixture is on it. Let it stand for a few minutes to stabilise then remove the cake pan sides (if you used a springform pan) or turn it out carefully.
The smell when this is baking is mouth-watering! It smells like a Quiche Lorraine, and though admittedly it looks a lot more rustic than a quiche, it is a whole lot less effort to put together!!
Customisation options
A very appealing feature of this recipe is that it’s highly customisable. I’ve gone with the breakfast staple of bacon here, but there’s plenty of other options – including adding things like chicken to make it lunch or even dinner worthy:
Ham in place of the bacon – a great way to use up leftover Christmas ham (skip the bacon-crisping step).
Garlic butter roasted mushrooms would be particular great and also fitting for breakfast. Halve or quarter so they incorporate better (whole will be too large);
Any chargrilled or roasted vegetables (follow directions in this Roasted Vegetables Pasta Salad recipe);
Feta or goat’s cheese – crumbled;
Chicken – cooked, chopped or shredded. Even leftover flavoured chicken eg from tacos or a chicken that was marinated like my Everyday Chicken Marinade;
Smoked fish – the oilier the better, so it won’t dry out. Think flaked smoked mackerel, herring/kippers or hot-smoked trout. Regular cold-smoked salmon would also work – it’ll cook in the strata because it’s thin and become “hot-smoked” – delicious!
Spinach – Make my garlic sauteed spinach, chop roughly and distribute before baking.
Breakfast sausages – Remove skin, break into small pieces, pan-fry as per bacon.
Olives, sun dried tomatoes and other antipasto-type things.
To serve, slice it up just like cake. If you’re the civilised sort, eat it with a fork but it holds together well enough to just eat it with your hands. 😉Excellent food for on the go! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Cheese & Bacon Breakfast Strata Cake (Breakfast Casserole!)
Ingredients
- 300g / 10 oz bacon , diced (or ham)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk (full cream or low fat)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 7 cups (packed) any plain bread (I use baguettes) , cut into 2 cm / 1 inch cubes (preferably slightly stale, Note 1)
- 2 cups cheese , shredded (Note 2)
Optional garnish
- parsley , finely chopped (garnish – optional)
Instructions
- Cook bacon: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. (Use a bit of oil if not using non-stick). Add all but 2 tbsp of bacon (reserve some for topping just before baking), cook until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
- Whisk eggs and milk: Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl (or container, if leaving overnight).
- Soak bread: Add the bread, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and the cooked bacon to the egg mixture. Mix well. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (until all the egg is soaked into the bread) or overnight.
To Cook:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Grease cake tin: Generously grease a 20cm/8" springform cake tin with butter (cake pan without loose sides also ok, also see Note 3 re: leakage risk).
- Fill: Pour the bread mixture into the cake tin, pat down to compress. Scatter with reserved uncooked bacon and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (no raw egg).
- Rest & slice: Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing the springform or turning out. Garnish with parsley if using. Cut into slices to serve. Be civil and eat it on a plate with a fork, or just use your hands!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published April 2015, updated October 2020 with brand new photos, video and process steps. Tidied up recipe writing but no change to recipe!
Life of Dozer
The clatter of spaghetti dropping on the floor and he was in the kitchen in a flash…..
Well, I WAS going to give them a wash and use them anyway, but he got to them first!!!
reply
Hi Nagi
I’ve just discovered you through Israel_kitchen on Instagram and I’m so excited.
Finding you’re in England is a hUUge bonus because I should be able to get the ingredients.
I am partially disabled so it’s fab to find healthy, fast and exciting recipes…. Hubby’s a veggie. Chilli, fea pumpkin tomorrow….
Heather
Hi Heather!! We are literally on opposite sides of the world! I am glad you like the look of my recipes and YES you will most definately be able to find everything you need in the UK. I don’t shop at gourmet stores – 95% of the time, I just shop at supermarkets! But I do sometimes go to Asian stores – things are so much cheaper there!!
So glad we found each other! Shout out if you have any questions at all, I check my comments on my blog every day. And I created a new category of recipes called “Meat Free for Carnivores”!! It’s under the Recipes Menu 🙂 Maybe some things there meaty enough for you! Thank you for reading Heather!! 😉
I relief vía email… Ex Pat… Now in UK… Forgot where I was lol
😉
Your blog is my newfound addiction :). Keep up with the good work.
Thank you Soe!! I plan to 😉
Simply gorgeous! No more words needed!
<3!
oh my gawd, woman!!!! LOVE!!!
THANKS Alice!!! 🙂
This looks delectable! My whole family would devour this!
YES they will!! And it’s really easy and fast to make too – can’t beat that!!
Thanks for this recipe Nagi…..delicious! I added some roasted mini sweet peppers I’d roasted the night before, and extra cheese, cause we really love cheese! Even did 1/2 with turkey bacon for my hubs, and ‘real’ bacon on my side! Will be making this more often for sure!
Hi Stacey! You are showing me up, adding sweet peppers, lovely splash of colour and extra kick 😉 I wish we had turkey bacon here, I love it.
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is such a genius idea!! My mouth won’t stop watering… I’d love to take a bite right now (: Happy Easter!
Thanks so much Connie! Happy Easter to you too 🙂
This looks fabulous! I love breakfast meals that can be assembled ahead of time. I’m going to make this for my next guests!
Thanks Sandra! I love make ahead breakfasts too 🙂 So convenient!
Happy Easter! Wow! This reminds me a deep dish pizza. It doesn’t look at all like a throw-together kind of dish with just a few ingredients. This looks like you slaved all day in the kitchen! You’re a master, Nagi!
Deep dish pizza? How do I not know what that is??
OMG… I live in Florida and I know what deep dish pizza is! Lou Malnotti’s is all you have to know! Next time you’re in Chicago, it’s a MUST!!! And so is your strata! I can’t wait to try it!
Cheryl 🙂
OK!! Deep Dish Pizza is going on my list of MUST EAT for my next trip to the US!! 🙂 Hope you do try the strata, it is ridiculously easy and fast to make for how delicious it tastes! Palm Beach hey?? I’ve been there!! It was a girls trip and we hired a convertible and drove up to Palm Beach to pretend we were living like the rich and famous!! It was a fabulous day out. Felt like Julia Roberts on the shopping strip 🙂
Sounds delightful! Next time you’re here, email me, and I’ll take you to some fabulous places to eat!
Oooh, that would be lovely! I must admit we struggled to find somewhere, didn’t know where to go! We had lunch at a nearby mall, I remember that. The ribs were FAB!! 🙂
Absolutely, positively outstanding. LOVE stratas, have one of my favs on my site. This looks so delicious.
(Funny I never hit POST COMMENT and found this open on my laptop!)
Thanks Kevin! I love stratas too, breakfast, lunch or dinner!! Hope you had a great long weekend 😉
lol it’s me again. I decided that I want to get emails from you and had to click again.
I’m glad you did!! I hope you enjoy them 🙂 And the cookbooks!
This looks so good! Ordinarily, I don’t like bacon in my food, but this may be the exception. My regular oven is broken; do you think that this recipe would work in a countertop convection/toaster oven?
Hi Kathy! That’s a bugger! I know this wouldn’t work in my toaster oven because I can’t change the strength of the heat so the top would burn before the middle cooks. But if you can change the temperature in yours, then I think it will work! It needs 25 minutes in the oven in order to cook in the middle. I think it might work better to have a thinner “cake” so it cooks through?
Also, do you think Canadian Bacon would work? I like it better than regular bacon.
YES it will work! I’m jealous, it is hard / expensive to get Canadian bacon in Australia 🙂
Hi Nagi, lovely looking strata you have there. Bacon eggs and cheese what could be more perfect for any time of the day. happy Easter to you
Thank you! And Happy Easter to you too Tania!! 🙂 Though wet and dreary as it is. Miserable weather!!
Have a wonderful Easter, Nagi!
This is one of my favourite recipes of yours, I think (well, for now … probably the next one you post will be my fave, too!)
I just love how super super super easy it is, and how it’s all puffed up and golden at the edges. Love , love , love and pinning x10!
Thanks Helen!! This is such a “cheat” breakfast but it’s so yummy!! The puffy cheesy golden goodness….it’s GOLD!! 🙂
Oh this is beautiful! Perfect for brunch! What a great idea!
Thanks so much Sarah!
You’re SO clever and creative! I totally love this breakfast.
Aw, thank you Sue! 🙂 I love it too 🙂 Had it this morning again!
I can see this being made for dinner sometime very soon. So easy to mix in almost any other ingredient you have. I’m thinking gorgonzola would be a fine match in this beauty, as well!
* Eye roll * Trust you to fancy it up with gorgonzola. I dare you to keep it plain. Cook like ordinary folk!
Brilliant idea, I’d have never thought of this! Easy, delicious and beautiful, what more is there, really?
High school maths: Bacon + egg + cheese = delish. 😉
I love this idea!! I am a make ahead breakfast girl and have several on my blog, but never thought to put it in a cake pan like this. Genius!! You can bet the next one I make I will be trying in a cake pan now so I can be all fancy dancy like you
Hi Bobbi! Ooh, I should have popped over to YOUR blog for make ahead breakfast ideas! Checking it out now!
Sign me up. This looks worth getting out of bed for!
But no rush Helen. It is a long weekend after all!