This breakfast casserole, or strata, is everything a breakfast should be—simple, healthy, and delicious. Layer crusty bread, beaten eggs, tender veggies and prosciutto in an ovenproof skillet and bake to golden, cheesy perfection.
A delicious breakfast casserole is a pretty good way to wake people up from warm beds. This hits just the right notes for a hearty breakfast: cheesy, nutritious, a little smoky (thanks to the prosciutto) and downright delicious. It’s also pretty darn easy to make.
This particular breakfast casserole is known as a shift. It’s in the same family as quiche or frittata, with one small difference: you stir shredded or sliced pieces of bread into the beaten eggs before popping it in the oven to bake.
You can use a fresh loaf of virtually any crusty bread – Italian, levain or baguette, for example. Or use slightly stale little things you find in your breadbasket. The moisture of the eggs works magic on a tired bread, so nobody gets the wiser.
Healthy ingredients
There is no shortage of wholesome ingredients in this wholesome recipe.
You will find:
- Several cups of fresh vegetables
- High Protein Eggs
- Milk and cottage cheese replacing the cream or half and half traditionally used
This results in a breakfast casserole that is lower in calories and saturated fat than many others you will find. Adding a few ounces of prosciutto along with sharp cheddar gives the dish big flavor and just enough decadence to make it feel special. You can improve the nutrition even more by making it with whole grains instead of regular white bread.
Ways to customize this recipe
What is particularly appealing about this casserole are the endless possibilities for variation:
- Instead of the asparagus, use diced zucchini or small broccoli florets.
- Swap out Gruyere or Feta for Cheddar.
- Use cooked, diced sausage, country ham, or crumbled bacon in place of prosciutto.
Make a vegetarian breakfast casserole
The other option here is to make the dish completely vegetarian. Just omit the prosciutto and use a teaspoon of smoked paprika instead to give the layers that smoky flavor. Alternatively, use a crumbly vegetable sausage instead of prosciutto.
Make it a meal
If you’re serving this for breakfast, a platter of seasonal fruit makes a lovely accompaniment. If you don’t like it, you can try this Strawberry Nectarine Fruit Salad recipe or this Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme. You can also mix up a sheet pan with potatoes and roast them alongside the layers until tender and golden brown.
Serving this for brunch or lunch, a salad of tender greens with this basil dressing is a perfect pairing. While this is always best served warm from the oven, it also tastes great at room temperature or even cold.
Make tips for breakfast casserole
It takes no more than 30 minutes to pull this casserole together and pop it in the oven.
Alternatively, you can assemble the dish the night before but skip the final step of topping it with cheese. Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge until morning. Pull out the casserole a good half hour before baking; Pour the cheese on top and into the oven!
Save and freeze breakfast casserole
If you have layers left over or want to make two casseroles and freeze one, go for it. Bake it, then let it cool completely before wrapping it in plastic several times and storing it in the freezer.
It should keep well for up to a month. To reheat, remove the plastic and place straight from the freezer in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Start your morning with these breakfast casseroles
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Easy breakfast casserole
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Bagel breakfast casserole with sausage, egg and cheese
- Breakfast casserole with leeks and asparagus
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Easy breakfast casserole with prosciutto
You can make and bake these savory layers in one fell swoop, or assemble and refrigerate the night before (but leave out the cheese until morning). Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking; add the cheese and put in the oven.
If you have vegetarians at your table, you can omit the prosciutto and add a teaspoon of smoked paprika instead.
The layers keep well as leftovers, so enjoy them for breakfast the next day or pack a slice for your desk lunch.
ingredients
-
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
-
2 large handfuls of tender leafy greens, such as arugula, dandelion leaves, baby cabbage, or spinach (tough stems removed)
-
1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
-
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
-
3 ounces thinly sliced ham
-
2 wrapped cups of cubed crusty bread, like levain, baguette, or Italian bread (slightly stale is fine)
-
8 large eggs
-
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
-
1 cup 2% milk (or whatever you have in the fridge)
-
Freshly ground black pepper
-
1 1/2 cups (3 oz) shredded cheddar, divided
method
-
Preheat oven to 350°F
-
Fry the vegetables:
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. I use cast iron, but any ovenproof skillet will do.
Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables, asparagus, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté until the vegetables wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from stove.
-
Add the prosciutto and bread:
Tear the ham slices into smaller pieces and distribute over the vegetables. Add the bread and mix everything together. Let this cool while you whisk the eggs.
-
Whisk eggs:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and several generously ground black peppers. Add 1/2 cup cheese and stir again. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
-
Bake the casserole:
Place the casserole in the oven and bake until just set and no obvious liquid remains, about 35 minutes. It should wobble a little. Keep in mind that when it comes out of the oven, it will still cook a bit.
-
Surcharge:
Cool down for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
