Asparagus and Sausage Strata

Submitted by Audrey

12 slices rustic white bread (heartier than squishy white)
1/2 cup milk
1 lb. asparagus broken into pieces
1 lb. sausage (I use Jimmy Dean hot and spicy)
1/2 lb. grated Cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour cream
1/4 t salt
1/8 t freshly ground pepper
dash of worchestershire
dash of tobasco sauce
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3-4 green onions (or 1/2 of a regular onion if you don't have any green onions)


Cube bread into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss with milk in large bowl, set aside. Brown sausage, drain. In the same pan, add 1 t of olive oil and saute your mushrooms (and onions if you didn't have green onions). Don't over cook - saute about 3 minutes. Turn off heat add asparagus and sausage back to pan.

In a separate bowl, blend eggs, sour cream/buttermilk, and seasonings.

Using a greased 9x13 pan, layer the strata as follows:

half bread cubes
half sausage/mushroom mixture
half grated cheese

Repeat layer with remaining half bread cubes
half sausage/mushroom mixture
top with the remaining cheese

Pour egg mixture over all, covering completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature one hour before baking. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in center is clean. Serve warm.