Sun-Dried Tomato and Sausage Strata

A golden, puffy strata will elevate the most mundane morning. Layered with buttered cubes of bread and generous quantities of Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese, this Sun-Dried Tomato and Sausage Strata must be prepared ahead of time, making it ideal for when you have house guests.

Ingredients

½ pound ground Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (if very dry, soak in hot water and drained first)
6 slices Italian or French bread (½-inch thick)
¼ cup butter, softened, for bread and baking dish
6 large eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions

Butter a 7 x 11-inch (or 8-inch) baking dish; set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring until soft. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes.

Butter bread on both sides, stack the bread and cut into small cubes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.

Layer one half of the bread in the prepared pan, one half the sausage mixture, half the cheese and half the basil leaves. Repeat layers. Pour egg mixture over layers. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Remove strata from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, (if prepared the night before). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake (uncovered) until puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serves 6

Variations
Substitute cooked ham, bacon or smoked salmon. Feel free to also substitute your favorite bread in this breakfast strata. Whole grain, seedy or country white will be delicious. If you double the recipe, you’ll need to increase cooking time to 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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