Spanish Breakfast Strata with Black Olives and Chorizo
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This breakfast strata is everything that you love about a baked egg/cheese/bread strata, but with delicious Spanish flavors. It’s easy to make and can be assembled a day in advance, making it the ideal recipe for brunch!
Around here, breakfast strata is affectionately known as an Eggy Cheesy Bread-y Thing, and this Spanish-inspired version is one of my favorites. It’s loaded with bold flavors from chorizo, smoked paprika, and buttery black olives, all baked together with melty cheese and chunks of sourdough bread.
If you’re looking for an easy, stress-free brunch recipe, this is it. You can assemble everything the day before, then simply slide it into the oven in the morning. The combination of savory chorizo, briny olives, gooey cheese, and custardy bread is completely irresistible.
Make-ahead
This recipe, like all breakfast strata recipes, can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Simply assemble the strata, cover it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it.
You’ll need to add about 15 minutes to the cooking time, as it will be cold when it comes out of the fridge.
Breakfast strata variations
A breakfast strata is an incredibly versatile recipe. At its heart, it’s bread, eggs, and cheese. But what you add to those delicious three is really up to you. Here are a few ideas to keep this breakfast strata new and fresh each time you make it.
- Switch up the cheese: Any cheese that melts well works great in this recipe.
- Use Gordal or Manzanilla olives.
- Instead of chorizo, use your favorite breakfast sausage.
- Add spinach, kale, or chard when you’re cooking the veggies and sausage.
Spanish Breakfast Strata with Black Olives and Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra to grease the baking dish)
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 1 lb fresh chorizo sausage (skin removed and chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chopped black olives
- 2 red bell peppers (chopped)
- 12 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 cups grated gruyere cheese (divided – can sub another alpine cheese, such as emmental or comté)
- 2 teaspoons EACH: smoked Spanish paprika and oregano
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (sliced into 1″ cubes)
- Minced chives (to garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and garlic and cook until the sausage is fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Mix in the Hojiblanca olives and red peppers and set the pan aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 lb fresh chorizo sausage, 4 cloves garlic, 1 cup chopped black olives, 2 red bell peppers
- While the sausage is cooking, whisk the eggs, milk, cheese, Spanish paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.12 large eggs, 3 cups whole milk, 4 cups grated gruyere cheese, 2 teaspoons EACH: smoked Spanish paprika and oregano, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Grease an 11×9 inch baking dish with olive oil, then add the cubed bread. Top evenly with the cooked onions and chorizo. Pour the whisked eggs and milk over top and gently push any exposed bread down into the custard. Cover the baking dish with foil. (You can either bake the strata right away, or put it in your fridge for up to a day.)1 loaf sourdough bread
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the strata covered for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes, until the strata is puffed, golden on top, and the eggs have set. Let the strata rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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This was great! Will make it again!