In our home, with new “favorites” constantly being developed, sampled, and savored, many much-loved recipes never find their way back onto our plates. But, every-so-often, a recipe gains instant “repeat” status and is thrown into a sacred category all its own, to be fished out of the archives over and over again. This elite status is not earned by mere deliciousness, since I would attribute that title to all of the recipes I share, but by an uninterpretable algorithm which balances comfort, ease, singularity and pure delight. It’s a science.
With an introduction like that, I hope you are ready to adopt this strata into your very own metaphorical recipe card box of “favorites”. Trust me, it deserves a place.
I am sure that the fact that I am raving about a cheese-loaded, bread-based dish comes as no surprise, but up until a few weeks ago, I had never made a strata. I know, I know, I can’t believe it either.
I do not know where I have been or why this incredible carb-loaded concept has never made its way into my “idea folder” before now, but I can tell you that I became a fan at first bite.
If you too are unfamiliar with the concept of a strata, think of this as a brunch-y dish much akin to a savory bread pudding.
If the thought of anything remotely bread-pudding-like totally freaks you out, let me say that while this dish does involve soaked bread, it maintains a lot more texture than most of the bread puddings you have likely met with.
Let’s take a look at all the wonderful things that are happening here. We begin with caramelized onions. Caramelizing the onions accounts for ninety percent of the effort involved here. After the onions are deep golden brown and have made your entire home smell like a bistro, we get to toss everything together.
By “everything” I mean the brioche cubes, thinly sliced prosciutto, gruyere, cream cheese, and fresh thyme. This mixture will be soaked in a combination of eggs, milk, and cream and then you have a choice to make.
This strata is absolutely delicious when baked immediately after its assembly or on the following day, making it the IDEAL holiday dish! You can prep it in advance or throw it all together on the fly - the choice is yours!
Your houseguests are going to adore you, even if you did forget to buy coffee.
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Brioche Strata
serves six
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 slices)
1 cup freshly grated gruyere
4 ounces cream cheese, diced into small cubes
2 ounces prosciutto, sliced into thin strips
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
Cook’s Note: This strata is delightfully flexible. It can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stowed away in the refrigerator before baking, or baked as soon as it is assembled - the choice is yours!
If baking on the day of preparation, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in a 9-inch nonstick pan set over medium heat. Add sliced onions to the pan and sprinkle with one teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to brown, then reduce heat to low. Cook the onions slowly, stirring every so often to ensure even cooking, until the onions are thoroughly browned and caramelized. This should take roughly 15-20 minutes.
Set the onions aside while you prepare the other components.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, remaining salt, and black pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together brioche cubes, gruyere, cream cheese cubes, prosciutto, thyme, and prepared caramelized onions.
Pour the egg mixture over the brioche mixture and toss until all the bread is thoroughly coated and the ingredients appear to be well dispersed.
If you are prepping the strata in advance…
Transfer the mixture to a 9x11 baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
The following day, remove the plastic wrap and allow the strata to sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. The top should be deep golden brown in color and the liquid in the pan should move just slightly when the pan is jiggled.
If you are baking the strata immediately…
Transfer the mixture to a 9x11 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes; until the top is deep golden brown in color and the liquid in the pan moves just slightly when the pan is jiggled.
Allow the strata to cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!
