This post is sponsored by Bonne Maman. As always, all opinions are my own. #SayItWithHomemade #BonneMaman
One of my family’s favorite recipes for the holidays is a breakfast strata. Anytime we’re together, it’s something that’s always made, Mother’s Day is no exception. When I went to create a recipe using Bonne Maman preserves for Mother’s Day, I (fittingly) asked my mom what would be a good recipe and we came up with this. A breakfast strata filled with ham, gruyere cheese, chives, a bit of thyme, and finished with a blueberry glaze.
Stratas are great for breakfast – not only do they feed a small army, but the best part is that you can (and should!) make it the night before. This allows the custard to really soak into the bread making it creamy throughout. The pieces of bread on the top get crispy which is my favorite part, but the center is soft and pillowy, and of course, super cheesy. In the morning, all you have to do is take the strata out of the fridge while you preheat the oven and then bake it for 45 minutes to an hour. While it’s baking, you can make the blueberry glaze which is a must – you don’t want to leave this part out. If the thought of blueberries and savory scare you – don’t let it. They’re not cloying and really add a great flavor to the savory strata. I had bites of the strata with and without the glaze, and by far, the ones with the glaze were my favorite and we’ll definitely be adding this to our usual stratas during our next family get-together.
If you’re looking to impress your mom this Mother’s Day, this is the way to do it- it’s something that looks like you spent hours slaving in the kitchen, but the reality is that it couldn’t be easier.
Bonne Maman is the only brand of preserves that I use – I make these delicious cookies and use their apricot preserves (so good!!)! – and the reason for it is because of their flavor. Just pure fruit flavor with no other additives added.
Make sure to enter the Bonne Maman’s sweepstakes, below, for a chance to win a 12-piece Le Creuset cookware set (!!) and over 1,000 other prizes.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-3 sprigs of thyme, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 cups cubed French bread
- 2 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
- 8 oz cubed ham
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 eggs
- Chives, minced
- For the blueberry glaze:
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 small onion, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cups of Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves
- Thyme, minced finely
Instructions
- For the strata:
- In a large pan, melt the butter over medium high heat and add the onion. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the time and a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
- In a large, buttered baking dish, spread half of the bread cubes on the bottom, and top with half of the onion mixture, half of the ham, and half of the cheese. Top with the rest of the bread, and the rest of the onions, ham and cheese and finally a generous handful of minced chives.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together, then pour over the strata. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place the strata in the fridge for at least 8 hours, overnight is best.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the strata until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand and serve with the blueberry glaze.
- For the blueberry glaze:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the finely minced onion and sautee until translucent. Add in the Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry preserves and stir to combine. Cook until the preserves have "melted" and resemble a thick sauce. Remove from heat and sprinkle in a few leaves of thyme, if desired. Drizzle over the breakfast strata and serve immediately.
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This looks soooo yummy and your pics are beautiful!
Thank you, Toni!!