Cheese strata makes a great breakfast option for holidays when you’ve got a house full of people or hosting an at-home brunch!

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Strata is essentially a layered breakfast dish made of eggs, bread and cheese. You can add more ingredients, – it’s a bit like a frittata in that sense – but at its most basic it’s a bread & egg dish.

One of the best parts is that cheese strata is almost always a make-ahead meal. Build your layers the evening before and stick it in the oven when you wake up. Breakfast!

For my version I’ve jazzed it up Italian-style by using ciabatta and adding layers of prosciutto. Because pork makes everything better, yes?

The best bread for strata is a big crusty loaf that’s a few days old. Sometimes I’ll buy it, cut it in half, and leave it out for a day before. Stale bread is good for here!

I use fontina here, but really any creamy, melty cheese would work. Maybe something smoother than cheddar, but anything in the fontina, Emmenthaler, or gruyere family would be perfect!

If you don’t think of it, you don’t have to let cheese strata overnight – it’s a pretty quick preparation either way. But I like the stale bread plus overnight combo: it lets flavors combine and give the bread this incredible texture! Worth the planning ahead.

Tools you’ll need: 8×8 baking dish, knife, cutting board.

Because a strata covers the savory trifecta of carbs, meat and cheese, you’ve got breakfast covered in one dish! Just add coffee and orange juice. Or a mimosa if you’re feeling festive – that’s what brunch is all about!

Want more breakfast ideas? Follow me on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!