Bacon and sausage breakfast strata recipe

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3.

2. 2

   Butter a 23 x 33-cm baking dish and set aside.

3. 3

   Place the bacon rashers in a large frying pan, cover them with water and put the pan over high heat.

4. 4

   When the water has cooked off, reduce the heat to medium and cook the bacon until nicely browned and crisp.

5. 5

   Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

6. 6

   Add the sausagemeat to the bacon fat in the pan.

7. 7

   Cook the sausagemeat, breaking it up as it cooks.

8. 8

   Meanwhile, chop the bacon coarsely.

9. 9

   When the sausagemeat is nearly cooked through, add the onion and continue to cook until the onion is tender, another 5 minutes or so.

10. 10

    Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausagemeat-onion mixture to the plate with the bacon.

11. 11

    Combine the eggs, milk, cream, mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne in a large bowl or glass measuring jug.

12. 12

    Whisk or blend with a hand-held blender until the custard is uniform.

13. 13

    Put half of the bread cubes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.

14. 14

    Sprinkle half of the bacon-sausagemeat-onion mixture evenly across the bread.

15. 15

    Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over this.

16. 16

    Repeat the layers.

17. 17

    Pour the custard over them.

18. 18

    The dish can be baked right away or covered and refrigerated for up to a day.

19. 19

    Bake until the centre is hot and the top is invitingly browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

20. 20

    Cut and serve hot.

21. 21

    Alternatively, leave it to cool then chill it in the refrigerator and eat it cold, or cut the chilled strata into serving-sized pieces and reheat in a 180C (Gas 4) oven to serve.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.