This sausage strata is the perfect mix of sausage, eggs, bread and cheese, all served up for a crowd- pleasing breakfast or brunch. An easy recipe with few ingredients and plenty of options for add ons or substitutions (see notes). It’s not to soon to think of your Mother’s Day festivities.
Sausage Strata
Serves 6-8
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 16 ounces breakfast sausage
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 4 ounces baby spinach
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups Italian loaf, torn into pieces or sour dough bread
- 8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese or gruyere (or a combo)
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley, chopped for garnish
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and brown sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer sausage to bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to skillet and sauté onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add spinach and continue to sauté until spinach wilts, 2 minutes.
- Pour onion mixture into bowl with sausage and set aside.
- Grease 9″x13″ baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter or a 9″ skillet
- In a liquid measuring cup whisk together eggs and cream until completely combined. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Add half bread pieces into the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer. Top with half the sausage, spinach and onion mixture. Pour half the egg and milk mixture over strata and sprinkle with half cheese.
- Repeat previous step until everything has been used and baking dish is full.
- Tightly cover strata with foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least one hour).
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Bake covered strata in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the top has browned and slightly crisped at the edges and the center has just set.
- Cool strata for 10 to 15 minutes, top with chopped parsley and serve.
NOTES:
Alternative cheeses to use: fontina, gruyere, comte
Protein alternatives: crumbled bacon, diced ham, turkey breakfast sausage
Vegetables to add: sautéed mushrooms, kale, bell peppers, asparagus
- Use a hardier bread like sour dough or a crusty Italian loaf. Since the strata sits overnight, you want to use a hearty bread so the casserole maintains some body and bite to it.
- Cream can be used instead of whole milk, but it should be whole milk. Anything less than will produce too much water while baking and may cause the strata to be soggy with excess liquid pooled at the bottom.
