This easy Sausage Breakfast Strata is a delicious make-ahead breakfast for holidays! Filled with pepper jack cheese, eggs, leeks, and sausage, this breakfast bake is a flavorful savory breakfast!
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Key Ingredients
- Bread: I like using a crusty bread, such as sourdough or French bread. It is best if the bread is slightly stale so that it soaks up the moisture of the eggs and milk. If the bread it fresh, you can dry out the cubes of bread in a 200-degree oven until slightly dry.
- Eggs: You can't have an egg bake without eggs! I always buy pasture-raised eggs.
- Milk: I prefer the creaminess of whole milk, but 2% or non-fat will also work.
- Spices: I use garlic powder and mustard powder. If you can't find mustard powder at the store, feel free to leave it out.
- Leeks: The softened leeks add a beautiful, mild onion flavor to this dish! Thinly slice the leeks then let them soak in cold water for 5 minutes to clean them. The sand will sink to the bottom and the leeks will float. When you drain them carefully pick the leeks off the top (if you dump it upside down the sand will just fall back on the leeks!).
- Italian Sausage: I use mild Italian pork sausage. If you'd like a spicy breakfast strata, feel free to use 50% or 100% spicy Italian pork sausage!
- Pepper jack cheese: The pepper jack cheese adds just a slight kick! If you'd like this breakfast casserole to be completely mild, you can substitute mild cheddar or jack cheeses.
How to make a breakfast strata
- Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes. If the bread isn't already a little stale, you can dry it out in a 200-degree oven. Place the bread in the casserole dish.
- Cook the leeks on the stove until just beginning to soften. Add the sausage and break it up with the back of a spoon. Cook the sausage until no longer pink. Stir the sausage and leek mixture in with the bread.
3. Meanwhile, make the egg mixture. Whisk together the eggs, milk, spices, and ½ cup of cheese. Pour it over the bread then top with the rest of the cheese.
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the egg is set and the top is beginning to turn golden.
Make ahead tips
- This breakfast strata is a great pre-ahead dish, especially for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. You can prep all the steps except for baking it off up to the day before. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator. In the morning, pop the casserole straight into the oven (it may take an extra couple of minutes to cook since you are cooking it from cold instead of room temperature).
More make-ahead breakfasts you'll love
If you give this sausage and leek breakfast strata a try, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Sausage Breakfast Strata
A delicious make-ahead savory breakfast bake that is perfect for holidays!
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Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- ½ lb sourdough bread cut or torn into 1” pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large leek white and light green parts only, sliced and cleaned
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb Italian pork sausage casing removed
- 10 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk preferrably whole milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese divided
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter. Preheat the oven to 375 °F
- Heat a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the oil, leeks, and a pinch of salt. Cook the leeks, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the sausage to the pan and break it up with the back of your spoon. Cook the sausage until no longer pink, about 5 more minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the sausage cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the egg mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic powder, mustard powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in ½ cup of the cheese.
- Add the bread and sausage mixture to the casserole dish and mix them together. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the top is beginning to turn golden brown. Serve hot.
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Kelly Burns
Just perfect and so easy and comforting ! What a great make ahead breakfast .💕
Caitlin from CC's Table
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you love it! 🙂