Since eggs go hand-in-hand with yesterday’s Easter holiday, it seemed timely to post about a family favorite egg dish, Sausage Egg Strata or “Egg Bake” as we called it as kids. This is a hearty, easy breakfast dish that easily serves a crowd. It’s prepared the night before and simply tossed in the oven, making it a good pick for family holiday events or brunches…which at my house usually involve a lot of last minute running around the Morning Of.

The Sausage Mushroom version is kind of “the original recipe” but we’ve subbed in various vegetables and breakfast meats over the years. Bacon and red peppers or ham and asparagus would be equally delicious combos!

Sausage Mushroom Strata
Serves 8-12
8-10 thick slices of good white bread, cubed
1 lb breakfast sausage links (or substitute ham steak, cubed), sliced into bite-size pieces
3/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 onion, minced
1 pkg baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
8 eggs
2 1/2 C milk
1 C half & half
2 tsp stone ground mustard or brown mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 Tbsp butter, thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp worcestershire
1 1/2 tsp dill
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9×13 glass baking pan with butter. Slice bread into small cubes, a bit larger than a dice. If using sausage links, cook links in a saute pan according to instructions on the package until links are cooked through and have a nice crisp crust. Slice each link into small pieces. If using ham steak, simply slice steak into small cubes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk and half and half. Whisk in mustard, salt, worcestershire, dill and pepper. Set aside.

Spread bread cubes into greased pan. Mix in meat and smooth out to create an even layer of filling. Pour egg mixture over bread and meat. Top evenly with thin slices of butter. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, let stand at room temp for 1 hour, then bake uncovered for 1 hour.