Zucchini Egg Strata

What do you do with all the zucchini from your garden and eggs your chickens are laying? Make Zucchini Egg Strata! I came up with this recipe when it was January and I was going through my freezer and realizing how many bags of zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and other garden produce I still had. Add to that the bowl of eggs on my counter and volia! Zucchini Egg Strata was what we were having for dinner!

Actually, it was going to be zuchhini egg bake but then I saw half a loaf of sourdough bread on the counter and decided to throw that in too. It hadn’t risen because the starter hadn’t been fed or used in a long time and it was a cold day. So a perfect time to add it to breakfast dish.

How to make the zucchini egg strata

I don’t have visual step-by-step instructions because I’m not a recipe blog and my kitchen is an ugly 70’s kitchen. You wouldn’t want to see pictures of me cooking anyway. Besides, you’re a great cook and can figure it out with just written directions. Measuring doesn’t matter, just put in what you feel like! It’s going to turn out amazing.

1. Get out garden produce from freezer you want to put in your strata: zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, chives, squash, etc.
2. Start thawing it by putting it in a bowl of hot water or running hot water over it.
3. Crack the eggs into a big bowl and beat them.
4. Add some milk.
5. Add your partially thawed veggies.
6. Add some garlic salt, sea salt, pepper and dried onion if you didn’t add any frozen.
7. Stir it together.
8. Rip up your bread and toss it into a 9×13 glass baking dish.
9. Pour egg mixture over the bread pieces in the dish.
10. Sprinkle the top with a generous amount of cheese.
11. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
12. Let it sit for a few minutes while you finish setting the table. Serve with a fruit salad, smoothie, hashbrown potatoes, or muffins. We love these pumpkin muffins I’ve been making since my oldest was a baby.

A Few Pointers

1. Amount of eggs: I use about 12 eggs and there are 7 of us at home right now. I use 15-16 when my older kids are home. You may use more if you have less veggies. Or less if you have more veggies.
2. Amount of milk: I use about a cup per 12-15 eggs. I never measure, just pour some in.
3. Amount of veggies: I use a sandwich size ziplock bag of zucchini and one of tomatoes. I use a snack size bag of chopped bell peppers.
4. Other add ins: squash (snack size bag), green onions (small handful), chopped ham leftover from your Easter dinner (sandwich size bag full), bacon (12 pieces). Add in whatever you have in your freezer you want to use up that you think goes with eggs or that your family will eat. Also add in any type of bread you need to use up: French, sourdough, sandwich, dried bread crumbs, stuffing, etc.
5. Skip the bread and it’s just a “bake” as in zucchini egg bake. To be a “strata” you add bread pieces. I actually do a lot of bakes and hardly any stratas, only when I have bread to be used.
6. Add cheese to the top or mix it in with the egg mixture. Use any type you want: raw, regular cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, etc. I use raw cheddar as much as possible because it’s healthier.
7. You can broil the last few minutes if you want it crispy on the top. Just don’t let it burn!
8. Enjoy your breakfast!

Turn your garden produce into a delicious breakfast casserole: zucchini egg strata!