Easy Bagel Strata with Salmon and Cream Cheese
This savory bagel strata with salmon is everything you love about a classic bagel with cream cheese, baked into a cozy, shareable brunch casserole. Made with day-old bagels, flaky cooked salmon, capers, red onions, fresh dill, dollops of cream cheese, and a creamy egg custard, it’s rich, bright, and bursting with flavor.
Equipment
- 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- ½ to ¾ pound salmon no skin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 day-old-bagels halved horizontally and cut into bite sized pieces
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- Dash of nutmeg
- 3 tbsp capers
- ¼ red onion sliced thin
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Butter or nonstick spray for baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil for the salmon.
- Add the salmon to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Bake the salmon for about 10 minutes or until it’s mostly cooked (you’ll be baking it again later, so don’t overcook now). Turn off the oven and remove the salmon. Let the salmon rest for 10 minutes before breaking it into large chunks.½ to ¾ pound salmon, 1 tsp olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper
- Lightly grease a deep 9x13 baking dish with butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Layer the bagel pieces on the bottom of the dish. Distribute the salmon on top of the bagels, then the onions and capers. Separate the cream cheese block into small pieces and distribute them evenly all over the top of the strata. We do this with 2 spoons.½ to ¾ pound salmon, 4 day-old-bagels, 8 oz cream cheese, 3 tbsp capers, Butter or nonstick spray for baking dish, ¼ red onion
- Mix up the custard by whisking together eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour the custard evenly over the strata, making sure that all of the bagels and salmon and other toppings get moistened. Cover the strata in foil and place in the fridge for at least an hour or up to overnight.8 eggs, 2 cups whole milk, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, Dash of nutmeg
- When ready to bake the strata, preheat the oven to 350°F. Note: If you're using a glass dish, you may want to let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes after refrigeration so that the glass warms up slightly before baking (extreme temperature change can damage it).
- Place the baking dish, still covered in foil, into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. The strata is done when it’s no longer jiggly in the middle and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and mostly dry.
- Top the cooked strata with the fresh dill and everything bagel seasoning. Let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it into pieces.1 tbsp fresh dill, Everything Bagel Seasoning
Notes
- Be careful not to cook the salmon for too long. This recipe uses raw salmon that you bake first, then add to the strata and bake again, so it’s important not to overdo the first bake.
- If you can only use fresher bagels, don’t soak the strata for more than an hour before baking. Otherwise it might get too soggy. Alternatively, you can dry the bagels out by baking them in a low oven (around 200 or 250°F for about 15 minutes).
- Cut or separate the cream cheese into small pieces. This will help ensure it distributes evenly all over the strata.
- Add fresh herbs after baking for the brightest flavor. If you can’t get fresh dill, you can sprinkle on some dried dill instead.
- Optional: let the strata rest for 15 minutes after removing from the fridge. Depending on your baking dish, a short rest between fridging and baking will help it warm up so it doesn't break from the temperature change. This is especially important when using glass dishes.