Sausage Strata

Sausage strata is a tasty breakfast casserole that’s a perfect dish to make ahead of time to feed a crowd. The word strata means layered, revealing how this dish gets assembled. We layer the usual ingredients, including sausage, eggs and bread, but add crumbles of bacon for a slight twist.

This strata recipe with sausage is just one of our favorite breakfast recipes, which range from simple and sweet to hearty and savory.

Ingredients for Sausage Strata

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• Sausage: This sausage strata recipe calls for bulk pork sausage, but feel free to choose the variety you like best. For example, Italian sausage, Mexican chorizo or smoked sausage all work well here.
• Egg: As one of the key ingredients in breakfast strata with sausage, eggs soften the bread and bind everything together.
• Milk: Because this dish includes a lot of dense textures and rich flavors, milk helps lighten things up.
• Bread: Choose a bread that’s fluffy enough to absorb flavors but strong enough that it doesn’t turn to mush. We like challah, brioche or country white bread for this egg and sausage strata recipe.
• Cheese: Cheddar is a classic cheese to use here, but you can also experiment with a blend of different cheeses if you’d like.
• Bacon: While not every strata recipe with sausage includes it, we like adding a bit of cooked bacon for extra flavor.
• Mustard: A little ground mustard complements the rich flavors of the meat in this recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the sausage and layer it with bread

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In a large skillet, cook the pork sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the excess liquid. In a greased, shallow 3-quart baking dish, cover the bottom with torn pieces of bread and then layer the sausage over the top.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients

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Place the shredded cheese over the sausage and then add the cooked, chopped bacon. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and mustard together, and pour the mixture over the other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 3: Bake and serve the sausage strata

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Remove the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until you can insert a knife in the middle and it comes out clean. Let the dish rest and cool for five minutes before serving.

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Sausage Strata Variations

• Use another variety of sausage: Both turkey and chicken sausage taste delicious in egg and sausage strata, so feel free to give different sausage a go. You can also try mixing a variety of sausages, like maple and smoked sausage, if you’d like.
• Add a veg: Tossing in a veg can add beautiful color and an extra pop of flavor. Lightly sauteed spinach, broccoli florets or fresh halved grape tomatoes would all work well in this strata recipe with sausage.

How to Store Sausage Strata

Allow any leftovers to come to room temp and transfer them to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, feel free to pop them in the microwave or in the oven at 350°.

Can I freeze sausage strata?

To freeze breakfast strata with sausage, start by placing leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container. Transfer the container to the freezer and store it for up to three months.

Or, if you’d prefer, wrap single portions in a layer of reusable beeswax wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store the portions in the freezer for up to two months. When ready, allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat as directed above.

Sausage Strata Tips

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How far in advance can you prep a sausage strata recipe?

Egg and sausage strata should rest in the fridge overnight before baking, but you can stretch this up to 12 hours if you’d like. Because this delay is built into the process of making strata, it’s great for when you’re busy, during the holidays or when you need a recipe to feed a crowd.

Why is my strata soggy?

While you may think sauteing the sausage before adding it to the baking dish seems like a pointless step, it helps prevent this very issue. As the pork sausage cooks, it releases liquid, so giving yourself the chance to drain that excess before layering the sausage into the strata is important.

Is it better to freeze a breakfast casserole cooked or uncooked?

If the casserole contains meat, you should cook the meat before freezing it. So, in the case of this strata recipe with sausage, you can cook the sausage and assemble the dish as you normally would. As long as the dish is securely covered (we recommend a layer of reusable beeswax wrap followed by aluminum foil), you can freeze it for up to two months.