Breakfast Strata is a wonderfully savory bake that is steeped overnight in a cheesy custard, keeping prep in the morning to a minimum. Nigella says if the amount of butter appalls you, of course you can use less – however, this enthusiastic buttering not only imparts its glorious flavor as the strata bakes but makes both releasing it and washing up the dish much easier.

Serves 6

ocado.com – Also, watch the video.

INGREDIENTS
500g (18oz) Frozen Whole Leaf Spinach
30g (1oz) unsalted butter, softened, for the dish
6 eggs, large
250ml (8.5oz) whole milk
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
50g (2oz) Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus 3tbsp
150g (5-6oz) Italian Mozzarella, drained
175g (less than 8oz) sturdy bread, torn into generous chunks
290g (10oz) Roasted Red Peppers, drained
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Salad Onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 bunch Chives, chopped, to scatter (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

A couple of hours before you want to assemble the strata for overnight steeping, arrange the frozen spinach on a shallow baking tray or large plate and let it thaw.

Generously butter a 23cm-9in-square, 6cm-2in-deep ovenproof dish or similar.

Crack the eggs into a measuring jug (or bowl), then pour in the milk. Spoon in the salt, dijon mustard and worcestershire sauce and, just with a fork, whisk gently but thoroughly to break up the eggs and mix all the ingredients together. Once it seems relatively smooth, add 50g of grated parmesan (reserving the 3tbsp to sprinkle over in the morning) and whisk again quickly to mix.

Squeeze any excess water out of the thawed spinach with your hands and then, with your poor frostbitten fingers, layer it nice and evenly on the bottom of your buttered dish.

Tear half the mozzarella ball into small pieces over the dish, letting the pieces fall as evenly as possible over the spinach layer.

Tumble in the bread pieces to make another layer, then tear the drained peppers over the dish. Arrange them so they’re evenly distributed over the cheese, ensuring every bite is wonderful.

Sprinkle over the dried thyme, followed by the salad onions and the remaining mozzarella (as before), then pour over your egg and milk mixture. Press the bread down into the liquid to submerge it with the implement of your choice, or just use your hands (which I prefer). Cover and chill overnight.

The following day, take the dish out of the fridge and leave it uncovered for 1 hr. Then, 15 mins before time’s up, heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Just before the strata goes in the oven, press down on the bread again, to make sure it has enough eggy coverage, then sprinkle over the remaining 3tbsp grated parmesan. Bake for about 50 mins (check it after 40), by which time the top will be dark gold and puffed up. To check it’s ready, use a regular knife of the sort you eat with to cut into the centre top about 2cm down; if no runny custard remains, it’s cooked! Let it stand for 10 mins and, if wished (and I do wish), scatter the chopped chives over the top.

This Breakfast Bake with Eggs by F&W’s Grace Parisi develops a terrific texture as it cooks slowly in a glass dish (which makes it easy to see when the bottom is perfectly browned). As one F&W editor remarked on tasting it, “I worship the crisp bottom and the chewy, moist bread.”

Serves 8

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
1 pound bakery white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (16 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
One 28-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes—drained, chopped and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt
8 large eggs
Hot sauce, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the bread is golden and lightly crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook until any liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Return the toasted bread cubes to the bowl. Add the contents of the skillet, along with the bacon, shredded cheeses, chives and broth. Stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Season with salt. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover with lightly oiled foil.

Bake the bread mixture in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is crispy, about 15 minutes longer. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and, using a ladle, press 8 indentations into the bread mixture. Crack an egg into each indentation. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Serve the breakfast bake right away with hot sauce.

Make Ahead:
The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.

The Spanish tortilla, also known as a Spanish Omelette, is truly, one of the best gifts to the food world from the Spanish kitchen. In this post, learn how to make a Spanish Onion Tortilla.

Serves 4

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
8 cage-free organic eggs
4 large brown onions 2 lbs
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried parsley
pinch sea salt
dash black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Crack 8 eggs into a large bowl, season with sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until well combined

Thinly slice 4 large onions

Heat a large deep pan with a medium to medium-high heat and add in 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, after 1 minute add in the sliced onion, mix with the olive oil, after 15 minutes and the onions are translucent and developing a light golden color, add in 1 tsp white sugar, continue to mix, about 8 to 10 minutes later and the onions are caramelized, season with 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, mix together and remove from the stove top

Heat a large nonstick pan with a low-medium heat and add in 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Meanwhile, add the caramelized onions into the bowl with the eggs and mix together until well combined

After heating the pan for 2 to 3 minutes add in the egg & onion mixture, give it a light mix so everything is evenly distributed, after 2 minutes run a spatula through the outer edges to ensure the eggs are not sticking to the pan

About 4 minutes after adding the egg mixture, it´s time to flip the tortilla, place a plate that is just a bit smaller than the pan over the pan, place your hand on it, with your other hand flip the pan into the dish with one swift move, slide the tortilla back into the pan, using the back of a spatula compact the tortilla from the outer edges into the center, this helps create that classic rounded edge, after a total cooking time of 8 minutes (4 minutes per side), the tortilla should be perfectly cooked, remove from the heat and slide into a serving dish

This skillet of Spanish Beans and Eggs is seriously one of the best dishes ever. Loaded with so many great flavors & textures, super easy to make and done in under 30 minutes. The perfect dish for a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend brunch. It´s typically served for either almuerzo (early lunch) or dinner. However, you can totally serve this skillet for breakfast as well.

Serves 2

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
20 oz canned white beans 2 1/2 cups
4 cage-free organic eggs
4 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp freshly chopped chives
sea salt
black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the canned white beans under some cold running water, thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic, finely dice 1/2 onion and crack 4 eggs, each one into an individual bowl

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in the sliced garlic and diced onion, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes add in 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika and continue to mix, 30 seconds later add in one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley and 1 tbsp finely chopped chives, mix until well combined and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the white beans and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix until well combined and let it simmer

About 3 minutes after adding the beans, add the 4 eggs, create pockets in the skillet and add the eggs into each pocket, so they sit in place, lightly season the eggs with sea salt & black pepper, place a lid on the pan

After 2 minutes remove the lid, cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until the egg whites are fully cooked through but the egg yolks are still creamy

Once the eggs are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives, serve at once

Egg and Bread Skillet, known as Saltavallao, is one of Spain´s most unknown recipes. It hails from the small town of Júzcar, which is tucked away in the mountains of Malaga.

Serves 4

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 slices baguette 1 inch thick each
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 green bell peppers
4 tomatoes
1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup vegetable broth
4 eggs
pinch sea salt
dash black pepper
dash white sugar
handful fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut each slice of baguette into 6 evenly sized cubes, for a total of 24 cubes, roughly chop the onion, thinly slice the garlic, cut the bell peppers into small bite-sized pieces and finely grate the tomatoes

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add the olive oil

After a couple minutes add in the cubes of bread, mix continuously, after 3 to 4 minutes and they´re golden fried, remove from the pan and set aside

Using the same pan with the same heat add in the onion, bell pepper and garlic, mix with the olive oil, after 5 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in the paprika and thyme, quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomato and season with sea salt, black pepper and a kiss of white sugar, mix together and simmer

Once the grated tomato has slightly thickened up, about 5 minutes, add in the pieces of fried bread back into the pan, along with the vegetable broth, give it a mix and bring to a boil, then add in the eggs, making sure to evenly spread them around, place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat, cook until the eggs are just cooked through, between 3 to 5 minutes

Serve directly out of the pan, sprinkled with finely chopped fresh parsley