French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe (2024)

Table of Contents

Why It Works March 2017 French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe Ingredients Directions Special Equipment Read More FAQs

Bread Pudding
Savory
Gruyere
Eggs
Onions

The flavors of French onion soup repackaged into a hearty, cheesy bread pudding that's perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a light one-pan dinner.

Emily and Matt Clifton

Emily and Matt Clifton are recipe developers, photographers, and cookbook authors. Their two cookbooks are Cork and Knife (2019) andThe Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook (2021).

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Updated June 13, 2023

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Why It Works

Caramelizing the onions develops their sweet flavor and deep brown color.
A generous addition of buttery Gruyère cheese gives you that crucial gooey texture.
Oven-drying the bread allows it to soak up the eggs better—no stale bread required.

We're big fans of bread pudding of almost every stripe. With one basic method and either a savory or a sweet set of flavorings, you can throw together a wide variety of dishes with a basic framework of bread, eggs, and milk. We generally reserve the term "bread pudding" for a sweet variation and "strata" for the savory version, which usually involves more eggs. It works so well that for the last few years, we've made a strata for Thanksgiving instead of stuffing.

As for flavorings, we love the same components you'll find in areally well-executed French onion soup: onions caramelized until they're nicely sweet; a gratin of browned, bubbly cheese threatening to flow over the top of the bowl. The soup is often packed with pieces of bread to soak up the flavors anyway, so it doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to invert the ratio and create a French onion strata.

We start with the onions—just as in the soup version, the key is to get them as well caramelized as you can. Of course, that can mean slowly cooking the onions for upwards of an hour. Since we wanted this strata to be a more convenient dinnertime option, here we trim the time to about 25 minutes, adding sugar to help speed things along; the onions won't be quite as deeply dark this way, but they'll still be pretty amazing. (Mind you, if youwantto go through the more time-consuming process of a long, slow caramelization, feel free to do so.) No matter what, don't be afraid to add a little water at any point if necessary to keep the onions from burning.

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe (3)

For the bread, we picked up a large, soft Italian loaf, but any unsliced country-style white bread should work fine. There's no need for stale bread, but it does need to be dried in a low oven at least a little—that will help it absorb the egg mixture without becoming a sopping-wet mess.

There's also no need to soak your bread overnight. Again, we're not looking for a completely pudding-like consistency, which would be better suited for a sweet recipe; the goal here is more a contrast of textures, with some crispy bits and some soft, creamy ones. We recommend around 15 minutes for the soak, but you could go longer.

Finally, assemble the dish by creating alternating layers of soaked bread, onions, and cheese, then bake it just until the eggs are set.

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe (4)

And there you have it: French onion soup, without the soup. A versatile dish that will serve you well for breakfast, lunch, or even a light, one-baking-dish dinner. Plus, you won't have to wait for dessert to have your pudding.

March 2017

Recipe Details

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe

Active40 mins

Total75 mins

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Caramelized Onions:

3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
3 large Spanish onions (about 2 1/2 pounds; 1kg), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup (60ml)dry sherry
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine

For the Strata:

1 large Italian or French bread loaf (about 1 pound; 450g), cut into 1-inch cubes
6 large eggs
3 1/2 cups (830ml) half-and-half or whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (15ml)Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon (5ml) fish sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

For the Caramelized Onions: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, then add onions, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, until onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently and keeping skillet uncovered, until onions are deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes; if onions threaten to burn at any point, stir in a tablespoon or two of water as needed, and/or lower heat. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute longer. Add sherry and wine and cook until liquid has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, for the Strata: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until bread is dry but not browned, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half or milk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add dried bread and let soak in custard for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
Butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and add half of bread. Scatter half of caramelized onions and half of cheese all over. Layer remaining bread on top and scatter remaining onions and cheese over. Drizzle any remaining custard all over, then bake until bread is crisp and custard is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Special Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9- by 13-inch baking dish

Pressure Cooker French Onion Soup
French Melt (Grilled Cheese With Caramelized Onion and Comté)
French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin
Real French Onion Dip
French Onion Soup Cheese Dip

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
565	Calories
30g	Fat
49g	Carbs
25g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	565
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g	38%
Saturated Fat 17g	86%
Cholesterol 220mg	73%
Sodium 1019mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 49g	18%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 8mg	42%
Calcium 488mg	38%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 523mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a breakfast casserole and a strata? ›

What's the difference between strata and casserole? Stratas are essentially breakfast casseroles made of eggs and bread. Stratas are often prepared the night before they are baked and served in oven-safe casserole dishes, similar to casseroles.

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What does French onion soup taste like? ›

French onion soup tastes like sweet caramelized onions, with intense savory notes from beef broth, wine, and brandy. The consistency is brothy at first, but as the bread soaks up some of the liquid, it thickens. It's heavenly.

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What are the three types of strata? ›

Strata properties fall into one of three main categories: residential, commercial or mixed use. Each has its own rules and considerations.

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Do you have to refrigerate strata? ›

After baking, any leftovers must be refrigerated within two hours and can be kept three to four days in the refrigerator or frozen for about three months. Uncooked egg strata should not be frozen.

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How to deepen the flavor of French onion soup? ›

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

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Do people in France eat French onion soup? ›

The food writer Waverley Root comments that the origins of French onion soup may lie in Alsace, although the dish is popular throughout France and "apparently no region lays particular claim to it". Onion soups from other regions include the tourain from Quercy-Périgord and the ouliat from the Béarn.

What is another name for a breakfast quiche? ›

Frittatas are Italian in origin and can be described as a cross between an omelet and a crustless quiche. Frittatas take less time to make than quiche or strata. The dish is traditionally made by beating eggs with dairy—often heavy cream or half and half—together with ingredients like vegetables, meats and cheeses.