CARAMELIZED ONION AND BREAKFAST SAUSAGE STRATA

Caramelized Onion and Breakfast Sausage Strata image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 9h20m

Yield 4-6

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces breakfast sausage, casing removed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
10 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 12-ounce loaf sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes, preferably stale (about 6 cups)
2 cups shredded Muenster cheese

Steps:

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 6 minutes more. Set aside.
Whisk the half-and-half, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the Muenster cheese, followed by the sausage-onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the half-and-half mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be assembled the day of; just let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.)
On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Muenster cheese. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.