This easy bacon and cheese strata is loaded with white cheddar and tender collard greens. It’s a quick and easy recipe that’s a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
What is Bacon and Cheese Strata with Collard Greens
Imagine cozying up to a comforting, bubbly dish that marries the smokiness of bacon with the sharp tang of white cheddar.
Sounds dreamy right?! Well a Bacon and Cheese Strata is just that warm embrace your taste buds are craving.
Almost like a mix of bread pudding and stuffing, this easy recipe is salty, crispy, creamy and crunchy all at once.
Just imagine the bacon interlaces with the creamy, bold cheddar, all while the collard greens sneak in with their earthy tones, creating a rustic yet refined melody.
Layers of soft, custardy bread soak up all that cheesy goodness, creating pockets of joy with every bite.
And it's not just easy to whip up, but it is also the epitome of Thanksgiving comfort with a chic, cheesy edge.
It's the dish that says 'home' with an accent of sophistication - a must-have on your table this holiday season.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bacon - If you don't eat bacon, you can leave it out or sub it for sausage. Just add a little olive oil since you won't have bacon grease to tenderize the onions.
- Sweet Onion - You can sub sweet onions for any onion you prefer.
- Collard Greens - If you're not into collard greens and don't just want to leave them out, swap them for spinach, kale or even broccoli.
- Salted Butter - If you're using unsalted butter, just add an extra pinch of salt.
- Spices - You'll need Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Black Pepper and Ground Mustard. If you don't have them, I recommend using some seasoned salt.
- Sourdough - Any sort of crusty bread will work - try a baguette, stale pullman loaf or even a boule.
- White Cheddar - If you're not into white cheddar, you can absolutely use another type of cheese. Try havarti, fontina, mozzarella or even asiago.
- Milk - If you don't want to use milk, you could use half and half or even heavy cream.
- Eggs - No substitute for eggs in this recipe.
How to make it
Making a bacon and cheese strata is a total breeze.
Begin by cooking bacon over medium heat in a heavy bottomed braiser until crispy. Remove the bacon, leaving the grease.
Add the onion to the bacon grease and a pinch of salt. Cook down 3-5 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized.
Add in the collard greens, butter and the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and ground mustard and another hefty pinch of salt.
Cook down for 5-10 minutes or until wilted and tender.
Add torn bread bits and toss together in the braiser - allowing the bread to toast slightly.
Meanwhile, add the milk, eggs and salt to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Slowly pour it into the kale mixture and add in the 1.5 cups of cheddar. Toss until combined.
Let sit while the oven preheats to 375F degrees.
Before it goes in the oven, sprinkle with remaining .5 cups of shredded cheddar and then bake for 40-50 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
Remove from the oven and enjoy.
What goes with a Strata?
This bacon and cheese strata is so good when paired with any of your traditional holiday side dishes.
I recommend pairing it with:
- green bean casserole with cheese
- candied yams with ritz crackers
- honey butter biscuits
- buttermilk brined turkey
- crockpot brown sugar pineapple ham
Frequently asked questions
Does strata have to sit overnight?
Not necessarily but it helps! A strata's like the ultimate lazy Sunday BFF—toss it together tonight, and it'll be all snug and flavor-mingled by morning, ready to bake to golden, custardy perfection. No stress, just press snooze and bake when you're up!
Can you freeze strata?
Just like rocking a vintage tee, you can freeze your strata with flair – just wrap that savory goodness tight and pop it in the deep chill for a retro revival on your lazy Sunday brunch scene.
How long can you refrigerate strata before baking?
Pop that strata in the chill zone for a cozy overnighter or let it max out its chillaxing vibes for up to 24 hours before you blast it with heat to achieve that golden, bubbly perfection. Keep it any longer, and you might just have a breakfast "won't" instead of a breakfast "want."
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Recipe
Bacon and Cheese Strata with Collard Greens
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ lb Bacon diced
- 1 large Sweet Onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups Collard Greens roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoon Salted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 4 cups Sourdough (1 small loaf torn into small bits)
- 2 cups White Cheddar shredded and divided
- 2 cups Milk
- 8 large Eggs
Instructions
- Cook bacon over medium heat in a heavy bottomed braiser until crispy. Remove the bacon, leaving the grease.
- Add the onion to the bacon grease and a pinch of salt. Cook down 3-5 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized. Add in the collard greens, butter and the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and ground mustard and another hefty pinch of salt. Cook down for 5-10 minutes or until wilted and tender.
- Add torn bread bits and toss together in the braiser - allowing the bread to toast slightly.
- Meanwhile, add the milk, eggs and salt to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- Slowly pour it into the kale mixture and add in the 1.5 cups of cheddar. Toss until combined.
- Let sit while the oven preheats to 375F degrees.
- Before it goes in the oven, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar and then bake for 40-50 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and the middle has set.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy
