BREAKFAST STRATA WITH COUNTRY SAUSAGE

Breakfast Strata with Country Sausage image

Yield serves 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

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1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for the dish
1/2 pound bulk pork or turkey country sausage
1 onion, preferably Vidalia, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 baguettes, cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Brush a large gratin dish with some of the oil.
To cook the sausage, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and red and yellow bell peppers and saute until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.
To assemble the strata, place half of the bread cubes in the prepared gratin dish and top with half of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the grated cheese over the sausage mixture and top with the remaining bread cubes and sausage.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, sage, and parsley in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the custard over the strata. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the chilled strata stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bake the strata for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese; continue baking until the strata is puffed and golden brown, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. (If the top of the strata starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.) Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Serve hot or warm.