Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
12 slices hearty white sandwich bread
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage, crumbled
8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
Salt and ground black pepper
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
12 large eggs
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on two large baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time.
2. Fry sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage apart with wooden spoon, until sausage has lost raw color and begins to brown, about 4 minutes; add mushrooms to skillet, and cook until mushrooms no longer release liquid, about 6 minutes; transfer mixture to medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish; arrange half the bread slices in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of sausage mixture, then 1 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining sausage mixture and remaining cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, and weigh it down with a gallon ziplock bag filled with 2 pounds of rice, beans, etc., and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.
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