Description
Sausage and Apple Breakfast Strata with savory sausage, sweet apples, and crusty bread, a comforting and crowd-pleasing dish!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) breakfast sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 8 cups day-old bread cubes (preferably a hearty bread like sourdough or Italian)
- 2 cups (8 oz/225g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 2½ cups (600ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook the breakfast sausage In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Step 2: Cook the onions and apples Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the diced apples and sage, cooking until apples are slightly softened but still hold their shape, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved sausage. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Prepare the baking dish Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer half of the bread cubes on the bottom. Add half of the sausage-apple mixture and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage-apple mixture, and set aside the remaining cheese.
- Step 4: Make the custard mixture Whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour this custard mixture over the layers in the baking dish, ensuring all bread pieces get soaked. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Step 5: Bake the strata Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove strata from the refrigerator, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and set. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 300g)
- Calories: 480 calories
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 920mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 225mg