Meredith’s Christmas Morning Strata – Inspired by The Family Stone
Course: Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes1
hourInspired by The Family Stone, this Christmas morning strata combines challah, sourdough, sausage, mushrooms, and three cheeses. Assemble the night before and bake in the morning.
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Ingredients
- Bread
4 cups challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups artisan sourdough, cut into 1-inch cubes- Filling
1 lb breakfast sausage, sage or regular
2 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 medium sweet onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
- Custard
10 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Cheese
8 oz Gruyère, shredded
8 oz extra-sharp white cheddar, shredded
4 oz Fontina, shredded
- Topping
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tbsp melted butter
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Measure 4 cups challah cubes and 4 cups sourdough cubes, cut into 1-inch pieces. Spread out on baking sheets and let dry overnight.
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet, breaking it into crumbles. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Sauté the onion and mushrooms until softened and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the sausage and remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, and parsley.
- Grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish with additional butter. Layer in the bread, sausage mixture, Gruyère, white cheddar, and Fontina.
- Pour the custard evenly over the layers. Press the bread gently into the liquid. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.
- Remove the strata from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Bake uncovered, beginning to check at 50 minutes. Continue baking until golden brown, set in the center, and a food thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°F. If the top browns before the center is done, cover loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble and refrigerate for 8–24 hours before baking.
Bread: Measure the bread cubes before drying—4 cups challah and 4 cups sourdough, 8 cups total.
Baking dish: Use a deep 9×13-inch dish. Do not fill to the rim; bake any excess in a separate greased dish.
Baking time: Timing varies with the dish and starting temperature. Begin checking at 50 minutes and bake until the center reaches 160°F. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly.
Movie inspiration: This sausage-and-cheese variation is inspired by The Family Stone.
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