Make Ahead

Mushroom, Kale, and Sausage Strata

November 18, 2015
4.5
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 8 hours
  • Cook time 50 minutes
  • Serves 5 to 6
Author Notes

With just a little bit of foresight, it’s possible to translate would-be holiday table scraps into a next day meal that feels and tastes like something totally new.

After dessert, on a break from rinsing out wine glasses, throw the thing together: Cube the abandoned loaf end in your breadbasket and tear up the last few kale leaves that didn’t make it into your salad. Pillage the leftover ingredients in your fridge: Fresh herbs are perfect; mushrooms are ideal; cheese is spot on. Toss the lot into a casserole dish with a bunch of beaten eggs and set it on a shelf in your fridge to meld overnight.

By tomorrow, you'll be a brief stint in the oven away from a breakfast, lunch, or dinner that's way better than yesterday's dishes piled on bread. —Kendra Vaculin

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Ingredients
  • 1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced crosswise
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 small bunch of kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn or chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 small loaf of crusty bread, cubed
Directions
  1. Set the broiler to high. Arrange the sliced kielbasa on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the edges are dark and crisped.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, plus a good amount of salt and pepper.
  3. Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add the mushrooms and sage, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are well browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to the same pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the kale, and season with salt and pepper. Toss and cook until kale is just wilted, about two minutes.
  5. In a well-greased casserole dish, layer half the bread cubes, mushrooms, kale, kielbasa, and cheese. Then layer the whole deal again, ending with cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the dish, filling in the crevices. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and stick it in the fridge overnight. Remove dish 20 minutes before baking.
  6. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake strata with foil still on for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mix is set and doesn’t jiggle when you shake the dish; remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes more, allowing the top to brown. Remove from oven and slice into big ol' hunks to serve.

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A fan of female driven comedies, a good beat, your hair today, and making foods for friends.

3 Reviews

MBen April 17, 2022
Everything about this strata was great! Used spicy Italian sausage as a sub for kielbasa. Highly recommend.
vellner December 11, 2015
Try adding lemon juice to the steamed kale.
John November 26, 2015
I'm impressed with this amazing recipe. It looks and taste great.