Think of a plate of pancakes and maple syrup with sage-seasoned sausage patties: This dish has that same mix of satisfying, sweet-savory flavors. Start preparing the strata one day ahead; it needs to be refrigerated overnight before baking.
Sauté sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of fork, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl; cool.
Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Arrange half of bread in bottom of prepared dish with bases of triangles facing in same direction. Scatter half of sausage, then half of plums over bread. Arrange remaining bread in dish with triangles facing in opposite direction. Scatter remaining sausage and plums over. Pour milk mixture over; press on bread to submerge. Cover; chill overnight.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place strata on rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered until strata is puffed and golden and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut strata into squares and serve with maple syrup.
Made this last year for Easter brunch. Easy recipe. It was a big hit.Everyone loved it. I'm making it again for this Easter brunch.
I was not impressed. Added maple syrup to egg mixture as suggested by other reviewers and found the combo of eggs and sweetness too weird. However, my niece and nephew (who love all things syrupy) loved it. The adults, not so much.
Unbelievably easy recipe. Fantastic flavor. We all but finished it off throughout the day. I used a previous review's suggestion of substituting 1/2 cup maple syrup for a 1/2 cup of the milk. We then didn't need to top it w/syrup. A MUST MAKE recipe.
This is the most awesome breakfast recipe I have ever made! However, I made the following changes/substitutions: Substitute maple sausage for the regular sausage (I used Johnsonville), and substitute pure maple syrup for some of the milk (I think I used 1/2 cup). I made this for our daughter's baptismal party and it was devoured in less than 10 minutes! I didn't even get to try it the first time! Enjoy!
Everyone loves this recipe and always asks me to make it; it is now a favorite family brunch recipe.
I made this for a baby shower brunch and thought it was delicious. I love strata since you can make them ahead. It wasn't as popular with the guests as the fruit strata I made, however.
I loved this recipe! I did not find it soggy or inedible like some of the other reviewers. I did omit the prunes but otherwise i followed the recipe exactly. I served this with maple syrup and it really was fantastic. I will be making this dish for an easter brunch i am going to.
I agree with the cook from New Mexico. The flavor was too peppery. The texture was weird too. I will try stratas again, but not this recipe.
This was just delicious - everything you like for breakfast in one simple dish. It would make a great brunch dish. It does need a full hour to set fully. I made one half the recipe in an 8 3/4" pyrex cake pan.
I have made Fench Toast in this style for years. Thick slices of French Bread, same egg/milk combo and I bake it in the oven til brown. This is a great way to do breakfast. The strata can be breakfast on the go!
To the cook below, please do not steer clear of stratas as a result of this recipe. They are wonderful choices for brunches because it's so easy to prepare them in advance and just pop them in the oven. A lot has to do with your bread choice and the amount of liquid it soaks up. I haven't tried this recipe yet, so I don't know if perhaps the portions are off. But try the sausage, cheddar, and vegetable strata or the spinach and grueyere strata from this site - you might change your mind on stratas. Think of them as a cross between an omelet and savory bread pudding.
Inedible. It was weird textured and the flavors did not meld. Definitely will not ever make a strata again.