Whyyyy don’t we have smell-a-vision yet? I feel like if you could smell this Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata as it baked, it would be a total game changer. Forget photos, just smell it. I’ve been eating this Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata non-stop for the past three days and I’m not even sorry about it. Technically it’s a breakfast dish, but it’s definitely an all-day-every-day dish in my book.
And I’m not going to lie. I 100% made this because The Family Stone is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I needed a mushrooms strata to be part of my Christmas tradition.
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Options, Options, LOTS of Options!
I wandered around Aldi for a good 20 minutes trying to decide which cheese I wanted to use in this savory bread pudding. In the end, I decided to go with the least expensive (Swiss) to make sure it was still delicious at its most basic. BUT, if you want to get a little fancy, here are a few other cheeses that you can add in addition to or use to replace some of the swiss: brie, chevre, gruyere, or Parmesan (do Parm in addition to Swiss, not on its own).
And if you’re just not into kale, it’s fine to sub spinach. :) Want to add meat? Brown some Italian sausage and add it in with your layers.
Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata
Servings 6 large slicesIngredients
- 1 loaf hearty bread (about 1 lb. total)* ($1.69)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.12)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.29)
- pinch salt and pepper
- 8 oz. chopped kale (6-8 cups) ($2.13)
- 8 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded ($1.69)
- 6 large eggs ($1.50)
- 1.5 cups whole milk ($0.50)
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.09)
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- The day before, prepare the strata so it can refrigerate over night. Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Tear the bread into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks and spread them out over a large baking sheet. Bake the bread chunks in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring once half-way through, to partially dry the bread.
- Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, then add them to a large skillet with the butter, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they release all their moisture and begin to brown (about 5-7 minutes).
- Remove the cooked mushrooms from the skillet and add the kale in its place along with a couple tablespoons of water (this helps the kale wilt). Sauté the kale until wilted (2-3 minutes).
- Coat the inside of a 3 quart casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray. Layer half of the dry bread chunks in the bottom of the dish, then top with half of the mushrooms, half of the kale, and half of the Swiss. Wiggle the ingredients down between the bread chunks a bit, then repeat all the layers a second time.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon, nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour the egg mixture over the prepared strata, making sure to drizzle over every surface of the strata, rather than just pouring in one spot. Cover the strata and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
- The next day, allow the strata to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the casserole for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF and the top is deeply golden brown.
- Let the strata rest for 10 minutes, then slice into six pieces and serve!
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Kale & Swiss Mushroom Strata – Step by Step Photos
Begin making the Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata the day before because it needs 8-24 hours of refrigeration. Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Tear one hearty loaf of bread into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks. Spread them out on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once half-way through. This will partially dry the bread, allowing it to soak up more of the savory custard.
While the bread is drying in the oven, prepare the mushrooms and kale. Slice 8 oz. mushrooms and add them to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp butter, 2 cloves of garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms release all of their moisture and then begin to brown.
Remove the mushrooms from the skillet, then add 8 oz. of chopped kale (about 6-8 cups, it will FILL the skillet) and a couple tablespoons of water to help steam the kale. Continue to sauté until the kale has wilted.
Coat the inside of a 3 quart casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray. Layer half of the dry bread chunks in the bottom of the dish, followed by half of the mushrooms, half of the kale, and half of the 8oz. shredded Swiss. Wiggle the toppings down between the bread chunks a bit, then repeat another layer of each.
In a large bowl, whisk together 6 large eggs, 1.5 cups whole milk, 1 Tbsp Dijon, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Pour the egg mixture over the strata, making sure to pour over ever surface, rather than just pouring in one spot. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-14 hours.
The next day, take the strata out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Finally, bake the strata for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF and the top is deeply golden brown.
Let the Kale Swiss and Mushroom Strata rest for 10 minutes, then slice into six large pieces and serve!
There it is. Not the prettiest food, but OMG if you could smell it!!
Made this one time probably two years ago and we all liked it a lot. Thought of it recently and was excited to make it again since it was so yummy! Love it for Christmas day breakfast type of occassion. We have a lot to do for entertaining later in the day but this makes the morning feel more special and I just prepare it the day before and can pull it out of the fridge to heat up. Definitely a winner!
Can you make this using sandwich bread?
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen great results using a softer sandwich bread. It really needs a tougher, more crusty-style loaf.
This recipe is delish and would be a great addition to a brunch spread. I skipped step 1 and didn’t toast my bread since I was working with already very stale bread (lol) and I don’t regret it. If you’re working with fresh bread, the toasting probably has more impact.
I also cooked the mushrooms and added the kale in afterward, without removing the shrooms from the pan (again, love skipping steps!!) and I think that’s a fine shortcut and one less dish to wash!
I otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit.
Delicious hearty veg meal! I made mine with artichokes and kale, adding parmesan to give an extra kick of flavor. I used a slender loaf of french bread, and I think next time I’ll choose a loaf with less crust and more soft inside, since the crust overtakes it just a bit. I will definitely make this again!
Can you freeze this after you make it?
You can- but the textures will change dramatically. XOXO -Monti
I had this pinned for months and months thinking that it looked so delicious but so intense to prepare. I finally decided to give it a shot and oh boy. This is SO GOOD. It’s good cold, it’s good reheated long enough to get the cheese melty, it’s actually not too hard to prepare (it does take a little bit of planning but it’s not a lot of hands on work), and the recipe makes a lot. I make this once and easily get 6-8 meals of it. I do sub fresh spinach for kale and sometimes I tweak the quantities of the produce and cheese (just because of what I can get) but other than that I make it as written. I have now made this twice in 2022 and I’m looking forward to making it again. I love this recipe so much.
This is super yummy! I used gruyere & parm instead of swiss and it turned out amazing. I just made it again today (bought a garlic loaf by mistake so it’s going to be extra good) and it’s in the fridge ready for baking tomorrow with the blizzard we’re getting. Thanks, Beth!
Hi, is the egg mixture supposed to cover the layered ingredients? (With the emphasis put on the bread being dry to soak up the egg mixture, seems like it should cover it. My layered ingredients are 2 inches deep and the egg mixture is only about a half inch deep.)
Thanks for your help!
Hi, is the egg mixture supposed to cover the layered ingredients? (With the emphasis put on the bread being dry to soak up the egg mixture, seems like it should cover it. My layered ingredients are 2 inches deep and the egg mixture is only about a half inch deep.)
Thanks for your help!
It sounds like you did everything right to me! You want to pour the mixture over everything but it shouldn’t be swimming in it. The eggs will puff up as it cooks with the other ingredients.
Could you freeze this before refrigeration? As in stick it in the freezer a few days before and then defrost overnight before baking?
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried that so I’m not sure how that would turn out.
Any recommendations for adding some rotisserie chicken as a meat add in, rather than sausage?
I would think that you could just shred or chop it and then layer it in with the mushrooms and kale. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but if I was going to try it that’s what I would do. :)
This recipe is fantastic! I brought it to a bridal party for breakfast and not only did is satisfy but also many people asked where I got the recipe ! This will be on my regular rotation for sure !
Not a fan of kale so I used the spinach I already had in the fridge. I used my day old home made bread and mozzarella cheese since that’s what I had on hand. This was very good.
If you leave out the bread and mustard these are the same ingredients I use in my spinach quiche.
Not a big swiss fan, but subbed gruyere and parm as you suggested, and this was amazing! One of my new fave breakfast recipes!
Can the portions be frozen after being baked ? Six servings is more than I will eat in a week.
Yes you can freeze it. I would make sure you keep it in an airtight bag or freezer safe container.
I’ve made this pretty much as written a few times, but my sister–who wouldn’t take less than a 5 figure payoff to let a mushroom pass her lips–was staying with us. I skipped the shrooms, added some diced onion and red bell pepper, used spinach, feta cheese, a couple of ounces of diced ham, and a few chopped Kalamata olives for a yummy Greek style version–could have totally skipped the ham. I did sprinkle the top with some shredded provolone (which is what was hanging out in the fridge) so it would melt and brown.This recipe is spectacularly versatile.
Made exactly as written–yum! We had trouble waiting 10 minutes to cut the strata because the kitchen smelled so good.
Be still my heart! This is a fantastic dish for any occasion. I found an artisan asiago garlic bread loaf to use and added one red pepper and about a pound of sweet Italian sausage. I used the recommended Swiss cheese with a few sprinkles of Parmesan. Excellent! Even great as leftovers.
I’ve never even heard of a strata but this is now my new favorite breakfast meal!! I added chopped (cooked)bacon, caramelized onions, and used spinach instead of kale. I also used half swiss and half Monterey jack. Everything came out delicious!!! I added more egg since I had a bigger pan and it still came out perfect. I will be sure to keep this recipe for the future.
Sooooo I really hate mushrooms but I love everything else about this recipe. I’m vegetarian so wouldn’t substitute any meat but is there anything else I could put in place of the mushrooms? Thank you!
Tofu or tempeh?
Stratas are so versatile that you can really put just about anything in there. :) I vote for some cherry tomatoes!
Awesome…it’s so yummy and I would like to enjoy it someday
This was amazing! I caramelized a couple of onions to add to the mushrooms and kale, and also used gluten-free bread. Leftovers reheated very well too!
What kind of gluten free bread did you use?
Beth, the Kale, Swiss and Mushroom Strata is amazing!!! Instead of using kale, I used fresh Spinach instead, and I also added sweet Italian sausage to the dish. I will definitely make this again, but will use kale. Thank you so much for sharing this very delicious recipe!!!
I forgot to mention that I added a small chopped green bell pepper to the dish since it was sitting in the fridge.
Yum! That version sounds amazing!! So glad you enjoyed it. :)
Nice recipe Beth!
Can I not use eggs with the strata? I am allergic to eggs actually.
Unfortunately I don’t know of a way to do that. A strata is essentially a baked egg dish, so replacing the eggs would make it into something totally different. :( I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a vegan blogger out there who has conquered the task, though! You could do a Google search for “vegan strata” to see what other people have tried in place of the eggs. :)
Wow, Merry Christmas!! I added some breakfast sausage and onion to the mix and used sour dough as suggested. Trader Joe’s has a swiss/gruyere blend that worked nicely What a wonderful brunch!! Thank you, and may you and yours enjoy this solstice season!!
Yum! This looks awesome!
Side question: what brand/size is your plan? It looks so sleek!
I don’t remember where I got this one (I think maybe it was World Market?), but it’s a 3 quart volume.
Quick question: Can this stay in the fridge for longer than 24 hours? Prepared it yesterday afternoon (Sunday) but would like to bake tomorrow (Tuesday). Is that ok?
Thanks!!
Unfortunately I haven’t tested this one with longer refrigeration times, so I’m not sure. :(
YUM! What I had in the freezer was spinach, and in the fridge was half a pound of smoked gouda. I sauteed a bit of diced onion with the mushrooms and added some red bell pepper for color. I halved the recipe for my family of 2–absolutely delicious, and leftovers for lunch tomorrow! I put it together last night for a late breakfast. I used my trusty old Corning 9″ square casserole dish.
None of your photos are showing :(