Sausage, Zucchini & Gruyere Strata
Ok, this is a “cheaters” post since it’s merely a much-needed update of an old post but I’m still very excited to share! This sausage, zucchini & gruyere strata is definitely in my top 5 favorite crowd-pleasing breakfast recipes. It’s not only incredibly easy to make but it’s scrumptious, hearty and perfect for a crowd. Now that we’re gearing up for cozy falls, lazy weekend at-home brunches and, of course, football Sundays, this strata is the perfect recipe for all of the above!
A few slight updates to note from my 2015 version though:
Gruyere takes the place of Monterey Jack cheese, because it’s fancy and delicious and you deserve the fancy right now!
I upped the egg quantity from 6 to 8 because I like it egg-forward, OK?
I add a little Dijon mustard to the egg mixture for a little tang and something something. Just trust me!
I wrote the original recipe with milk to augment the eggs but I totally recommend indulging in half & half because life is rough as is and sometimes you just gotta go for it.
Originally I wrote the recipe with not a lot of thought put into the layering. I used to just add bread, sausage, zucchini, cheese then eggs so it was sort of a seven-layer dip situation. It was totally fine and delicious but I found that you didn’t get the ingredients mixed together very well. This time around, I suggest splitting up your layering in half to make it more lasagna-style. It totally works!
I just know you’re going to love this oldie but goodie - enjoy!
Post from 2015:
I have no problem admitting that, in our household, Cole is the king of breakfast. I'm still the queen of lunch and dinner, but having him take over a territory that involves me lounging in my PJs while it's being prepared for me is quite alright with me.
On the rare occasion that I do take over breakfast, I am a fan of a breakfast recipe that allows me to have my cake and eat it too! And of course that means I'm talking about a make-ahead breakfast casserole.
Whoever decided to make a breakfast version of a casserole was a complete genius. This particular recipe I actually tested out on a bachelorette party weekend I took this summer where I played personal chef to five other fabulous ladies. As you could imagine, it was quite the wild weekend but luckily we had tasty food to soak it all up, including a hangover friendly strata. Even better? I didn't even have to break a sweat whipping it up and could lounge and let my hangover cure come to me. And boy did it do the trick!
So I returned from the bachelorette party weekend raving about this new recipe, and had to show up the King of Breakfast. Turns out I even outdid myself from the bachelorette weekend with this new version below. Imagine, if you will, a savory bread pudding of sorts with savory, juicy bits of sage sausage and vibrant shreds of zucchini topped off with ooey, gooey shredded cheeses. It's not only the easiest breakfast you'll ever make (because I’m not trying to leave a perfectly warm bed to go slave away over poached eggs and bacon grease), but it's downright delicious. Oh, and the King of Breakfast approved.
Sausage, Zucchini & Gruyere Strata
Ingredients
1 rustic, sourdough loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoons butter, for buttering casserole dish
1 package Jimmy Dean sage sausage
8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese
1 zucchini, shredded
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk or half & half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish. Brown sausage in a large skillet, drain any excess grease and set aside.
Whisk together eggs, milk or half & half, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until homogeneous.
Scatter half of cubed bread evenly into the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with half the sausage followed by half of the shredded zucchini, ensuring sausage and zucchini are evenly distributed. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage and zucchini. Top with shredded gruyere. Pour over egg mixture, ensuring equal distribution. Cover and soak in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but can be left overnight for a more custard-like casserole.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until cheese is golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, slice and serve.
