Berry Strata

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food

Keyword: berries, bread, leftover bread, leftover buns, strata

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Resting Time: 8

Total Time: 8 50

Servings:

Calories: 435kcal

Don't throw out those squashed burger bus, stale bread, or bread heels! Stratas are always great use up bread, but combined with always-ready-to-go frozen berries, this lightly sweetened strata is bursting with colorful berries and easy to make ahead. Plus stratas are basically bread puddings in disguise, so dress it up with some whipped cream for an easy, make-ahead dessert for a crowd.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into ¼" slabs
3 tbsp honey
4 eggs large
½ cup ricotta cheese
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup skim milk
¼ cup orange juice
4-6 hot dog buns cut into 1" chunks (about 4 cups)
2 cup mixed berries fresh or a 10-oz bag frozen (thawed and drained)

Instructions

Make Ahead

Grease a 8 x 11" or 10" round (2-quart) baking dish. Baking spray works well.
In a small, microwaveable bowl, combine butter and honey. Cover with a paper towel or plastic cover and microwave on low power (50%) for 30 seconds. If the butter is mostly melted, give it a good stir to see if the remaining chunks are melted. If chunks are large, repeat, checking after every 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a large bowl and mix well with a fork or whisk. Add ricotta cheese and sugar and mix in thoroughly. Add milk, orange juice, and melted butter and honey mixture and blend well.
Add bread chunks and use a rubber spatula to mix well. Make sure bread is thoroughly coated and chunks are separated or you will end up with dry spots in your strata. If the bread does not feel like it is soaked through, add some more milk, another egg, or some liquid egg whites and mix well.
Gently fold in the berries; add more berries if desired. Turn mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Bake and Serve

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake strata in center of oven until golden brown on top and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes to set before serving.
If not sweet enough, serve with maple syrup. Or, if serving as a dessert, top with whipped cream.

Inspired by: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/berry-strata-recipe-1947676

Turbo Instructions :

Melt butter and honey in microwave. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a fork then blend in ricotta, sugar, milk, orange juice, and butter and honey. Toss in bread chunks and mix thoroughly to coat. Gently fold in berries and pour into prepared baking dish and let rest overnight in refrigerator. Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F.

Nutrition