breakfast strata

Our family, like most, has holiday traditions that reach back farther than we can remember, and one of our Christmas morning non-negotiables is Mom's Breakfast Strata!  If we're lucky, we get to have it more than once a year, so I'd like to personally thank Miss Amanda Watson for providing a reason for Mom to make it on a day other than Christmas!  Since the shower Mom and I are throwing her is this weekend and Mom has graciously offered to "cater" the brunch food, I get to taste the deliciousness in just two days!  But this recipe is just too good to keep to myself, so I'm passing it along... for Christmas, for brunch, for Saturday morning... whenever!  Below is the recipe exactly as she emailed it to me my freshman year of college - with lots of love and exclamation points!  Enjoy!

Preparation:  45 minutes

Cooking: 1 hour

Serves:  12 - 14 people   

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage    (Jimmy Dean for example)

12 slices white or wheat bread cut in cubes with no crust (If this fills your dish too much just leave some out. about one slice of bread worth... no more)

3 cups sharp cheese grated (buy the cheese already grated)

8 eggs

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (nice to have but not necessary)

1 teaspoon salt (yes, you need this)

1 teaspoon dry mustard (nice, but if you do not want to buy this let it go)

1 quart milk (2%)

Saute sausage until lightly browned.  Drain, dry(with paper towels) and crumble.  Butter a 10 x 14 dish (or 9.5 x 13 if that is all that is available).  Place one half bread cubes,  one half the cheese and all the sausage in casserole.  Cover with remaining bread cubes and cheese.  Beat eggs and add a small amount or Worcestershire sauce, the salt, dry mustard and milk.  Pour over casserole and refrigerate overnight covered.

*****  Do not overfill your dish with the egg and milk mixture.  Just fill your casserole dish the desired amount and stop.  Discard any leftover egg mixture.

In the morning preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.  Yummy!!!

This is great with cinnamon rolls and coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!