Mixed Berry Strata
Breakfast stratas are the way to my heart! Simple to put together but so delish. This Mixed Berry Strata, served with freshly whipped cream, will leave you weak in the knees!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup ricotta
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup milk any kind of milk will work
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 5-6 cups cubed sweet batard, toasted
- 10- ounce fresh mixed berries blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry
- Whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and brown sugar. Using a fork, mix to combine and beat the eggs. Add the milk, orange juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread and stir to combine. Fold in the berries.
- Place the ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata until golden on top and baked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into dishes and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- Toast the bread cubes before assembling. 10 minutes at 350 degrees to dry them out. Untoasted bread turns to mush in the custard; toasted bread stays structurally honest.
- Cube the bread to 1-inch pieces. Too small and it disappears into the custard; too big and the centers stay raw. One-inch is the sweet spot for even soak.
- Soak overnight, minimum 8 hours. The bread needs time to absorb the custard fully. Anything under 4 hours and you'll have dry pockets.
- Whisk the eggs and ricotta separately first, then combine with milk. Ricotta is lumpy by nature; whisk it into the eggs alone first to break it up before the milk thins everything out.
- Don't toss the berries into the custard. Layer the bread first, scatter berries on top of each layer, pour custard over. Bottom-mixing makes them sink and bleed into the bread.
- If using frozen berries, don't thaw. Frozen berries toss in straight; thawing first releases too much liquid and the strata goes purple-mushy.
- Cover with foil for the first 25 minutes of baking. Then uncover for the last 20. Foil traps steam to set the custard; uncovering crisps the top and caramelizes the brown sugar.
- Test for doneness at 175 degrees internal. Insert a thermometer in the center; below 170 and it's still wet egg, above 185 and it's overdone.
- Rest 10 minutes after baking before cutting. The custard needs to set or it'll spill. Use this time to whip the cream.
- Whip the cream right before serving. Cold heavy cream, cold bowl, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla. 2 minutes on medium-high. Don't make ahead; it weeps.
Nutrition
Calories: 785kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 891IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 7mg