INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb Harmons country-style sausage
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 apple, such as HOneycrisp cored and diced
- 1 (10 oz) box box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- Butter for baking dish
- 8 cups cubed Harmons artisan bread
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add oil. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small pieces, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add apple and spinach and cook 2 minutes longer. Set aside.
Generously butter a 9″x13″ baking dish. Add half of the bread cubes to dish. Sprinkle half of the Monterey Jack cheese over bread and top with half of sausage mixture. Repeat layering.
In a large bowl, add milk, cream, and eggs. Liberally season with salt and pepper and pour over strata. Top with parmesan cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, weigh mixture down with a box of cereal or bag of powdered sugar, and refrigerate for 2-12 hours.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake strata, uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, about 50 minutes. A thin knife inserted in middle of strata should come out clean. If top browns too quickly, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let strata stand 5 minutes before serving.