Breakfast Strata

The week after Thanksgiving is always the same. The house is quiet. The leftovers are deep. And I am tired in the way that only feels good — the tiredness of having given everything you had to a meal and a moment and a table full of people, and now the giving is done and you can rest.

I made turkey soup on Monday. This is non-negotiable. You cannot throw away a turkey carcass. That carcass has another meal in it — maybe two. I broke it down and put it in my biggest pot with water, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmered it for four hours. Strained it. The broth was golden and rich, the kind of broth you can feel in your chest when you drink it. I added the leftover turkey meat, some egg noodles, and vegetables, and we had soup for three days. Earl said, "This is better than the turkey." He's not wrong. The soup is always better than the original because it has time in it. Time and patience and the willingness to use what's left.

Marcus called Saturday. He and Tasha have been official for eight months now and he told me — in the careful way that twenty-three-year-old men tell their grandmothers things — that he thinks she might be "the one." I said, "Marcus, if she eats two slices of my sweet potato pie and peels potatoes without being asked, she's been the one since Wednesday." He said, "Grandma, you can't judge a relationship by potato peeling." I said, "Watch me."

I'm making Christmas plans already. I can't help it — as soon as Thanksgiving is done, my brain shifts to December. The tree goes up next weekend. The fruitcake batter needs to start soaking — yes, I make fruitcake, and yes, people make fun of fruitcake, and those people have never had mine. My fruitcake is dense and dark and soaked in brandy and packed with candied citrus and pecans and it needs three weeks to age, so you start in early December or you're behind. Hattie Pearl's recipe. The same recipe she made every year, wrapped in cheesecloth, soaked in brandy, stored in a tin on the top shelf of the pantry where the children couldn't reach it. I do the same thing. The only child who tries to reach it now is Andre, who is ten and tall for his age and curious about everything that smells like fruit and danger.

Church was good Sunday. We're rehearsing for the Christmas concert. "O Holy Night" is on the program and it is my favorite Christmas song because the melody is a prayer and the words are a promise, and when thirty voices sing it together in a church that's two hundred years old, the walls vibrate and you can feel every soul who ever sang in that sanctuary singing with you.

Now go on and feed somebody.

After church on Sunday, with “O Holy Night” still ringing in my chest and a houseful of people who needed feeding, I wanted something that did the work before the day even started—something I could put together the night before and slide into the oven while the coffee brewed. That’s when a breakfast strata is exactly right. Here’s how I make it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes + overnight soak | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (plus overnight) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 loaf day-old French bread or sourdough, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups diced cooked ham, breakfast sausage, or leftover roasted turkey
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
10 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the pan. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously on the bottom and sides. Set aside.
Saute the vegetables. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Build the layers. Spread half the bread cubes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the sauteed vegetables evenly over the bread, followed by all of the meat and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar. Top with the remaining bread cubes in an even layer.
Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and fully combined.
Pour and press. Pour the egg custard slowly and evenly over the entire dish. Press the bread down gently with your palms so every cube begins to absorb the liquid. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheddar evenly across the top.
Refrigerate overnight. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. The bread needs the time. Do not rush this step.
Bring to room temperature. The next morning, remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Bake. Uncover and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges are set, and the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan gently. A thin knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
Rest before cutting. Let the strata rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve directly from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Breakfast Strata — The Make-It-the-Night-Before Dish That Uses What’s Left and Feeds Everyone Who Shows Up