Butternut squash and kale strata

Strata is like savoury French toast, baked with delicious things in it. This one uses roasted butternut pumpkin and onion, along with kale and cheese. It's creamy and custardy, and cheesy and herby.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400–500 g diced butternut pumpkin (squash)
• 1 small red onion, cut into large dice
• 4 garlic cloves, peels on
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 eggs
• 2½ cups (625 ml) milk or cream, or a mixture of both
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 slices sourdough or country bread (each about 2.5 cm / 1 inch thick)
• 2 cups (about 140 g) frozen chopped kale
• 1½ tbsp finely chopped parsley or sage
• 2 cups (200 g) grated smoked cheddar or gouda

Soaking time: at least 30 minutes

Cooling time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Toss the butternut onto a large sheet pan along with the onion and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to combine. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and caramelised, stirring once halfway through cooking.
3. Lightly grease a 3-3½ litre casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs then whisk in the milk and/or cream, mustard, smoked paprika and nutmeg and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins, mash with a fork into a paste, and whisk into the egg mixture.
5. Cut the bread into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes and scatter half into the prepared casserole dish followed by half of the kale, half the herbs and half of the roasted squash and onions. Repeat these layers with the remaining bread, kale, herbs and roasted veg then pour over the egg mixture. Scatter the grated cheese overtop and cover with a lightly greased piece of aluminum foil. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. (See Note if assembling the day before baking.)
6. Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the covered strata for 25 minutes then carefully remove the foil and continue to bake for another 25 minutes or until puffed, golden brown, and the center is set. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Note

• If looking to get ahead, assemble the strata the night before. Cover with lightly greased aluminum foil as instructed and store in the fridge for up to 12 hours. To bake, place the covered strata into your cold oven and heat it to 180°C (350°F). When the oven is up to temperature, bake as directed above.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.