Breakfast Strata Vs Frittata: What's The Difference?

Breakfast is a beloved dish around the world. Every country has its favorite breakfasts, from the ultra-dense and famous Full English in the United Kingdom to bubur ayam (essentially chicken porridge) out of Indonesia. Throughout the United States, breakfast commonly contains eggs.

But those eggs can be cooked and presented in a frankly overwhelming variety of ways. There are essential ways to cook eggs, such as scrambled and sunny side up, the eternally classic diner omelet, a dozen eggs benedict recipes, and even plain hard-boiled eggs with a pinch of salt.

Two of the more work-intensive (but oh-so worth the effort) breakfast egg recipes to pull out for your next brunch are stratas and frittatas. Despite the similar-sounding names and the eggs central to them, the dishes couldn't be more dissimilar. Stratas are essentially breakfast casseroles made with chunks of egg-soaked bread, while frittatas are more like a giant omelet or a crustless quiche.

Stratas take a bit of foresight to make properly since the eggs need time to soak into the bread that forms the backbone of the dish. You can think of it as making a savory bread pudding, complete with all the extra fillings you have lying around your kitchen. You could make a BEC-inspired strata with bacon, cheddar and chives, or load up on healthy veggies for an artichoke-spinach strata. You could also swing it back toward the sweet side with a french toast-inspired strata.

Whatever fillings you decide to use, the crucial step for a great strata is ensuring you give the bread time to absorb your eggs. Don't rush this if you can help it; give it at least half an hour to soak or, better yet, let it soak overnight. Once the bread looks nice and softens, pop it in the oven to bake, then enjoy.

Unlike stratas, you can whip up an incredible frittata with zero foresight. The process is similar to making an omelet, only you mix your eggs and all your fillings at the same time before cooking the mixture in a covered skillet on the stove or baking it in the oven. One thing to keep in mind is that most frittata recipes are enough to feed a small family since you need plenty of eggs to make the pielike form. The plus side, then, for individuals is you can easily freeze the extra slices for meal prepping.

As for what fillings to use, the world is your oyster, and yes, oysters are a great filling. If you've never had a frittata, a basic vegetable and cheese recipe is a great place to start. Once you're comfortable, you can try fancier frittata fare, such as tomato and prosciutto frittata with fresh basil. Once you've tried both a strata and frittata, proselytize your preference to your fellow brunchers.