recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2000-11-19
From: recipelink.com

Sausage and Cheese Strata
Newsgroup: rec.food.cooking
Date: 11/18/1999
Author: Jann S. Grimes

Recipe By : Detroit Newspaper (Free Press or Detroit News)
Serving Size : 4

1/2 pound sausage meat, sage flavor
8 slices bread, homemade -- cut in cubes
3/4 pound Monterey jack cheese -- grated
4 large eggs -- beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons butter -- melted, cooled

Brown sausage, breaking into pieces like cooking ground beef. Drain well on paper towels. Mix eggs, milk, salt, mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside. Grease a 1 quart casserole dish. Set aside 1/3 cheese. Layer 1/3 sausage, 1/3 bread, 1/3 cheese, repeat two times. Press down into pan. Pour egg mixture over all slowly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Drizzle with butter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook let stand at room temperature 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the casserole dish in a larger baking pan. Add enough water to go half way up. Bake in this pan with water for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden brown. The standing time is very important. If this is for a dinner, make it at breakfast time so it has time to sit for many hours. This makes the flavor of the sausage just melt through all of it. It is not as good if you cook it after making.
This would be a wonderful brunch main dish. Or a holiday breakfast.

Serving Ideas : Brunch, or a holiday breakfast

NOTES : Although I love this any time, my hubby thinks it should be for breakfast. It has a wonderful flavor that everyone will love. I prefer to use Bob Evans Sage Sausage.