Maple Apple Sausage Strata

Happy Holidays to you and your family! I am looking forward to time at home, especially in the mornings, during this holiday season and the opportunity to break out some of my favorite breakfast recipes. Like most busy families, I rarely have time to make breakfast into a significant meal so this is going to be fun.

The first recipe on my list is Maple Apple Sausage Strata. I like this recipe because you can prep your ingredients the night before and store them in the frig. I also toast my bread the night before and store it on the counter in a paper bag. In the morning, all I have to do is toss the ingredients together and bake it. Easy breakfast, accomplished.

This strata has a sweetness to it thanks to the diced apple (I used a Fuji apple) and fresh Eckert’s Apple Maple Sausage. I was able to commandeer a little help from my daughter to grate the cheese. I used Henning’s Mammoth Cheddar (available in our deli department) because my kids love this mild cheddar and I often have it at home. Because it has a little age to it, it adds a bit more flavor to the strata than your average shredded cheddar.

This morning we baked the strata and enjoyed a slower-paced start to the day. I hope you will give this recipe a try this holiday season. Wishing you and your family many good meals and blessings in 2015! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Angie

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups 2% or whole milk
• 12 oz. browned Eckert’s Apple Maple sausage (3 links)
• 1 sweet apple, peeled and chopped
• 6 slices of Eckert’s Farm Bread, toasted
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add sausage and apple pieces and toss to coat. Cut bread slices into 3/4″ pieces. Add bread pieces and ½ cup cheese to egg mixture. Toss until bread is well-moistened. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake until lightly browned and eggs are set, about 30 minutes. Makes 6 large servings.