Strata

Name: Strata
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 pretzel rolls (or bread of choice, 4-6 cups lightly packed, day-old/stale works best); 3 sausages (we used Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages); 4 oz (½ stick) butter (your favorite kind); 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced; 2 ½ tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped; ½ tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped; ½ cup milk (your favorite kind); 1 14oz carton Just Egg; 1 cup cheese, grated (we used Creamy Original Chao Slices); 1 tomato, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cookbook

Difficulty

Intermediate

Cooktime

1 hour 30 min

A rich, savory breakfast casserole with layers of bread soaked in eggy custard and herb butter.

Serves 6-8

6-8

4 pretzel rolls (or bread of choice, 4-6 cups lightly packed, day-old/stale works best)
3 sausages (we used Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages)
4 oz (½ stick) butter (your favorite kind)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 ½ tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
½ cup milk (your favorite kind)
1 14oz carton Just Egg
1 cup cheese, grated (we used Creamy Original Chao Slices)
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

Grater
Skillet
2-3 quart baking dish

01 / 06

Prep the ingredients

ingredients

Preheat oven to 350°F (if baking immediately, see note). Grate the cheese and chop the vegetables and herbs as directed – set aside. Tear up the bread into roughly 2-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Remove the casings from the sausages and crumble them into small bite-sized pieces. If using a raw sausage, cook in a skillet as directed, then add to the mixing bowl with the bread.

02 / 06

Sauté the vegetables

vegetables

In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add in the diced onion and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, until mushrooms are softened and starting to brown slightly. Transfer the mixture to the big bowl with the bread and sausage.

03 / 06

Make the herb butter

butter

Add the rest of the butter to the skillet over low heat, stirring gently. Once melted, add the chopped rosemary, sage, and tarragon to the pan. Simmer very gently for 4-5 minutes, being careful not to fry or burn the herbs. Once the butter is noticeably fragrant, strain off the herbs with a slotted spoon or metal strainer. Pour the herb butter evenly over the bread mixture in the big bowl and mix thoroughly.

04 / 06

Combine all ingredients

ingredients

Add the milk, grated cheese, salt, and pepper to the big bowl. Shake up the bottle of Just Egg and pour this in as well. Toss everything together, until evenly coated.

05 / 06

Pour into a baking dish

dish

Lightly grease an oven-proof baking dish (about 8”x 8”) with butter or oil. Pour in the ingredient mixture. Arrange the sliced tomato in a layer over the top of the mixture.

Make it ahead: At this point, you can cover the strata with tin foil and stash it in the fridge overnight (or through the day) until you’re ready to bake it.

06 / 06

Bake the strata

strata

Bake for about 40 minutes – time may need to be adjusted depending on your oven. The strata should be browned and crispy on top, while still moist on the inside. Pull from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to set, then slice and serve warm.