Instant Pot Egg Strata (with Ham and Brie)

Instant Pot Egg Strata is an easy make ahead casserole with eggs, whole grain bread, spinach, ham and brie. You need just 8 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time. It’s a great way to use up holiday leftovers and works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

This post is sponsored by Egg Farmers of Canada as part of their #RecipesThatGive campaign. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Crumb Top Baking possible.

Recipes That Give (Time) Campaign

It’s a little over two weeks to Christmas and it’s possibly the busiest time of year for most of you. It can also be a stressful time for many people, so that’s why I’m delighted to be participating in the Egg Farmers of Canada #RecipesThatGive campaign.

They’ve teamed up with Food Banks Canada to encourage people to give back during the busy holiday season. And one way they’re doing that is by enlisting the help of Canadian food bloggers to share quick and easy recipes that will free up more of your time to spend with loved ones and to make a contribution to your community.

Egg Farmers of Canada and Food Banks Canada

Every month, there are over one million visits made to food banks in Canada, and 1 in 3 people helped by food banks are children and youth. Food Banks Canada is dedicated to helping individuals and families in communities across Canada who are struggling with hunger.

Canadian egg farmers have been long-time supporters of Food Banks Canada. (The two organizations have been partners for over two decades!) Each year, Canadian egg farmers donate more than 1.4 million eggs to their local food banks. That’s because they believe in giving back, and their commitment to community engagement is rooted in the traditions of family farming across Canada.

Through the #RecipesThatGive campaign, you can give back too.

If you have a simple and delicious recipe that can help save time, share it on social media and use the hashtag #RecipesThatGive. Helping to free up time for people to spend with their loved ones and give back to their community is a wonderful gift.

How will you use your time to give back this holiday season?

Speaking of time saving contributions, this Instant Pot Egg Strata with ham and brie is a go-to recipe for us, and I’m excited to share it with you today!

Why you’ll love this instant pot egg bake:

• It comes together easily and quickly. You only need 8 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time.
• You can make it in advance and just pop it in the Instant Pot when you’re ready to enjoy it.
• It’s a great way to use holiday leftovers – ham from Christmas dinner or that brie from your charcuterie board.
• It’s perfect for any meal of the day. Pair it with some fruit for breakfast, a side salad for lunch or home fries for dinner.

What is an egg strata?

An egg strata is essentially an egg casserole made with eggs, cheese and bread. It’s similar to a quiche in that you can load it up with lots of veggies and/or meat, but the main difference is that bread is the primary ingredient. There’s usually twice as much bread as any other ingredient in a strata. It soaks up the egg mixture and puffs up a bit when it bakes.

Ingredients to make Instant Pot Egg Strata:

• Eggs
• Bread
• Ham
• Spinach
• Brie
• Basil
• Salt and pepper

How to make an Egg Strata in the Instant Pot:

• Start by greasing a 7-inch round glass dish. This size fits nicely in a 6-quart Instant Pot.

• Tear or chop up your bread into 1-inch pieces (doesn’t have to be exact) and add it to a large bowl. Chop up your ham, spinach and brie and add it to the bowl as well.

• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your eggs, basil, salt and pepper.

• Add the bread to the prepared glass dish and pour the eggs over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for a few hours to let the bread absorb the egg.

• When it’s time to cook, add some water to  your Instant Pot insert. Place your trivet or steamer rack/basket inside. Place the strata on top of the trivet/rack and lay a piece of foil on top of the strata.

• Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (quick release the rest). Unlock the lid, lift off the foil and carefully remove the strata from the Instant Pot using oven mitts.

• Broil the strata in the oven for 3-4 minutes so it gets browned and crispy. Done!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Do you need to make an egg strata in advance? I like to make it in advance to allow the bread time to absorb the egg. But if you’re pressed for time, you can prepare the strata and cook it right away. Just note that it may not have the same texture and more of the egg will be cooked on the bottom of the strata.

• How do you store an egg strata? Once you have the strata prepped, cover and store in the refrigerator. You should aim to cook it within 24 hours. If you have leftover cooked strata, just place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days. It reheats nicely in the microwave.

• What type of bread should you use in an egg strata? I like to use whole grain bread but you can use whatever kind you like. Crusty bread or sour dough bread would be great. Whatever bread you choose, just make sure it’s stale or at least a day old. If your bread is too soft, the strata may turn out mushy.

• How long do you cook an egg strata in the Instant Pot? It takes about 35 minutes for the strata to fully cook in the Instant Pot. This includes about 8-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to build pressure, 20 minutes to cook at high pressure and 5-6 minutes to release pressure.

• Why do you place foil on top of the strata before cooking? The foil is placed on top to prevent any condensation from the inside of the Instant Pot lid from dripping down on top of the strata and making it soggy.

• Do you need to broil the strata in the oven? I highly recommend broiling the strata for a few minutes to get the top browned and crispy.

Other tips and substitutions for making this Instant Pot Egg Casserole recipe:

• If you don’t have ham, leftover turkey works too and pairs nicely with the brie.

• Other cheeses work well in this strata. So, if you don’t have brie, change it up with some mozzarella or cheddar cheese, or any cheese that melts well.

• You can remove the rind on the brie, but I usually just leave it on. (We’re all about saving time, right?!)

• This recipe calls for dried basil, but if you’d like to use fresh, just triple the amount. (Fresh herbs are usually not as strong as dried).

• I have a 6-quart Instant Pot and used a glass casserole dish that was 7 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches high. This size fits nicely in the Instant Pot.

Pin this Instant Pot Egg Strata with Ham and Brie for brunch!

Other egg recipes you might enjoy:

• Tomato, Arugula and Mozzarella Quiche has a crispy whole wheat crust, eggs, cherry tomatoes, arugula, basil and mozzarella. It tastes more like a pizza than a quiche, and it’s perfect for breakfast-for-dinner.

• Sweet Potato Turkey Egg Bake is grain-free with ground turkey, spinach, mushrooms, sweet potato and eggs. It’s flavoured with apple sauce, maple syrup and sage, making it a sweet and savoury dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• Mediterranean Quiche with Almond Crust is light and savoury with eggs, spinach, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and chunks of feta. Another great option to enjoy eggs any time of day.

If you make this Instant Pot Egg Strata, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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