About the Recipe
Italian Breakfast Strata is one of the best breakfast casseroles ever, layered with Italian bread cubes, Italian sausage, plenty of spinach, and melty cheeses in just the right amount of egg custard. It has a fantastic fluffy texture, rich and satisfying, and yet somehow not heavy.
Ingredients
1 large loaf Italian or French bread (1 lb) ( I used Asiago Loaf)
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more to grease baking dish
12 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
1Â yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups baby spinach, wilted and drained ( final amount, NOT precooked amount0
12 large eggs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 cups milk
4 ounces Fontina, shredded
4 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
2 ounces Asiago, Shredded
2 ounces Parmesan, shredded
2 ounces Aged Gouda or Harvard, shredded
Preparation
1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes, and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet; leave uncovered overnight to become stale.Â
2. Add olive oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat, and add sausage. Cook, while crumbling with a spatula, for a few minutes, just until the sausage starts to brown. Add onions, garlic, a large pinch of salt, black pepper, cayenne, oregano, and thyme. Cook, stirring until the onions soften and start to turn translucent.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, then spoon about 1 tablespoon of rendered sausage fat back into the pan; place pan back over medium-high heat.
4. Add spinach and cook, tossing with tongs until it’s just barely wilted and bright green. Transfer into a strainer to cool. Squeeze out any excess water, and chop before using. Or, use scissors to snip into small pieces.
5. Whisk eggs with salt until yolks have been incorporated into the whites. Whisk in milk and set aside.Â
6. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom with a single tight layer of stale bread cubes. Top evenly with about 60% of sausage mixture, layer on 60% of spinach, and then scatter over half the cheese.
7. Top this with another layer of bread cubes, pressing down lightly with your hands to flatten. Top bread with remaining sausage and spinach. Ladle egg and milk mixture evenly over casserole. Top with the remaining cheese.
8. Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
10. Bake strata in the preheated oven until top is lightly browned, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 150 degrees F (66 degrees C), about 1 hour 15 minutes.
11. Let strata rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.