Ham and Sausage Strata

Grace Parisi, courtesy of foodandwine.com

The strata needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight before baking, so plan accordingly.

Serves 12
Total time: 6 hrs. | Active: 1 hr.

Ham and Sausage Strata

Ingredients and directions

Ingredients:

  1. Two 1/2 pound baguettes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
  2. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  4. 1 large onion, finely chopped
  5. 3 celery ribs, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  6. 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  7. 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages (about 4), casings removed
  8. 1 pound Carlton Farms Boneless Ham, cut into 1/3 inch pieces
  9. 1 Carlton Farms Andouille sausage (about 4 ounces), finely diced
  10. 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  11. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  12. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  13. 1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
  14. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  15. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  16. 4 cups chicken stock
  17. 1-1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk

Directions:

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spread the bread on 2 large baking sheets and bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through.
  2. 2. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 6 minutes. Add the Italian sausages and cook, breaking up any large pieces, until no longer pink, 8 minutes. Stir in the ham, andouille, thyme and salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
  3. 3. Add the Gruyère, Parmesan and bread to the meat. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, stock and half-and-half and add to the meat and bread mixture; toss until evenly mixed and moistened. Cover the strata with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. 4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 4-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Transfer the strata to the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface. Butter a large sheet of foil and cover the baking dish with it. Bake the strata in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until barely set. Remove the foil and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the strata is bubbling and the top is golden and crusty. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Do ahead:
The baked strata can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat before serving.