I call this a Holiday Breakfast Strata because, well, it’s perfect for holidays. It’s an absolutely delicious, special dish that everyone, young and old, is sure to gobble up. And it takes next to no effort to bake up on those busy holiday mornings because you assemble it the night before.

It’s an amazing dish without the addition of sausage. Sometimes I’ll make one big meatless version in an 8″ x 8″  pan, then just cook up some bacon to serve alongside for the meat-eaters. Other times, like this one, I split the strata into two smaller casserole dishes and add sausage to the meat side. I adore Morningstar Farms’ Veggie Sausage Patties, so this time I cooked up a couple of those and added them to my veggie version as well. It was great.

Dish tip

Use different colored dishes to help keep track of the veggie vs. meat dishes. In our kitchen, I often use green, my favorite color, for my vegetarian version.

Holiday Breakfast Strata with Sausage (or Not)
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 10 mins

Holiday Breakfast Strata with Sausage (or Not)

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This easy overnight breakfast strata is perfect for holiday mornings. When time is tight and a special breakfast is in order, this fits the bill on both counts. Add sausage for the meat-eaters and for the vegetarians, you can leave it out or substitute veggie sausage. It's delicious either way.
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Yield: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 3/4 cup white button mushrooms
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 8 slices white bread (crusts removed)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use medium)

For the meat half, if making:

  • 1/2 pound sausage

Instructions

  • In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
  • If using sausage, brown it in a medium saute pan and drain.
  • If using veggie sausage, heat it in the microwave for a minute or so and crumble.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper.
  • Spray two approximately 4" x 8'' baking pans/casserole dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Layer two slices of the bread in the bottom of each pan.
  • Sprinkle 1/4 of the veggies over the bread in each pan.
  • Spread half the crumbled sausage over the sausage version.
  • Sprinkle on 1/4 of the cheese over each.
  • Pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture over the top.
  • Add a layer of the remaining bread, two more slices each, then veggies, then sausage over the sausage side, then cheese.
  • Pour the rest of the egg mixture evenly over the top of each.
  • Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
  • In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for about 40 - 50 minutes, until set.
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