If using sausage/bacon/ham — cook and set aside.

For veggies:

onions and peppers: sauté until soft

mushrooms: cook until they release water and dry up

spinach: wilt quickly then squeeze out extra water

Water is the enemy here. Not a huge enemy… but an annoying one.

Use butter or oil.

Grease it properly too, especially corners.

Otherwise later you’ll be scraping baked egg like… “why do I do this to myself?”

Put half the bread cubes in the dish.

Then sprinkle:

some cooked meat

some veggies

some cheese

Then add the rest of the bread and toppings.

It doesn’t need to be perfectly layered. Strata isn’t judging you. It just wants to taste good.

In a bowl whisk:

eggs

milk

salt + pepper

mustard (optional)

garlic powder (optional)

Whisk until it looks smooth and slightly foamy.

Pour custard evenly over everything.

Then press the bread down gently with a spoon or clean hands so it drinks up the liquid. It’s weirdly satisfying, not gonna lie.

Best option: cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).

If you’re short on time:

let it sit 30–45 minutes on the counter

Overnight is better though. The texture is softer, more cohesive, more “brunch café.”

Bake at 350°F (175°C).

cover with foil → bake 30 minutes

remove foil → bake 20–25 minutes

It should be puffed, golden on top, and set in the middle.

Let it rest 10–15 minutes.

I know it smells amazing and you want to dig in.

But if you cut immediately it can collapse and get messy.

Resting = clean slices.