Sausage, Cheddar, and Sourdough Strata

By Marge Perry & David Bonom
Ideally suited for an easy-going brunch, stratas benefit from being made up to a day ahead so the egg can thoroughly soak into the bread. We’ve used sausage in the recipe below, but you can make it with ham instead: simply brown 8 ounces of chopped ham steak in a little oil in place of the sausage.
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Course: Breakfast
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INGREDIENTS

  • Butter
  • Dried basil
  • eggs
  • fresh thyme
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • garlic cloves
  • minced
  • milk
  • olive oil
  • onion
  • thinly sliced
  • red bell pepper
  • thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • sharp cheddar cheese
  • shredded
  • sourdough baguette
  • cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • sweet Italian sausage

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the oil to the skillet
  2. Butter an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Place a single layer of the bread on the bottom
  3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined. Slowly pour the mixture over the top layer of bread. Cover with plastic wrap and place heavy objects (e.g. food cans) on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°
  5. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and uncover. Bake until the strata is puffed and browned and the eggs are set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven let cool 5 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.