breakfast strata

Breakfast

Breakfast Strata

My grandmother makes this breakfast strata every Christmas morning, and it's amazing. My husband hates eggs and he always has seconds, even my 1- and 2-year-olds gobble this up. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Ingredients are forgiving; add your favorites or spice it up. Just make sure your veggies are not going to water it down.

Ingredients

1 pound sausage, casings removed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
10 cups cubed, day-old bread
8 eggs, beaten
3 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups cubed black forest ham
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Generously grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Heat a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir sausage until crumbly and completely browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to the prepared casserole dish.
Cook and stir mushrooms in the same skillet over medium heat until liquid has been released and mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes; drain.
Combine mushrooms, bread, eggs, milk, Cheddar cheese, ham, spinach, flour, dry mustard, butter, basil, and salt together in a large bowl; pour over sausage. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate, 2 hours to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.