My sister has more folk over than even us, so when she told me about this wicked tasty onion bagel and pancetta strata recipe she found in Rachael Ray’s magazine, I hunted it down on the interwebs and decided to make it for a gathering we were planning.
Except…
Oh, c’mon, you know there’s almost always and “except” where I’m concerned.
I needed to change a few things…
We had our favorite “everything” bagels in the bread crock, and I thought breakfast sausage would be nice, then added sautéed onion and red pepper, totally skipped the nutmeg, but added a bit of sage, my own Sherry Peppers Sauce, and my preferred hot sauce.
Ermmm, I did keep the heavy cream and the Swiss cheese.
All in all, a big hit! And, you can put it all together the day before, so you can relax and enjoy a mimosa or four on the day of and all you have to worry about is getting your main course in and out of the oven on time.
INGREDIENTS
•2 everything bagels*
•1 lb sausage
•2 cups diced sweet onion
•1-1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
•1 lb pork sausage
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•1 tbsp butter
•3 large eggs
•1-1/2 cup milk
•1/2 cup heavy cream
•1-1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
•1 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce – or your fave hot sauce
•1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/4 tsp dried sage
*Next time I make this, I think I will bump it up to three bagels.
Cut the bagels into 1/2 inch cubes, then add to a 13×9 baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, then pat into a single layer across the bottom of the casserole.
Cook sausage, breaking it into small pieces over medium high heat with one tablespoon of Sherry Peppers Sauce, until the sausage is cooked through and a little bit crispity; and most of the cooking liquid is cooked off. Ten to fifteen minutes.
Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a sieve set into a colander to drain.
Melt one tablespoon of butter in the sausage drippings pan, then add the onion and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring now and again, until the onion begins to brown, 12 minutes or so.
Spread the onion and peppers over the bagels in the baking pan.
Whisk the eggs together with the cream and milk, add the black and Aleppo pepper, Cajun Power sauce, sage, one cup of the cheese, and the cooked, drained sausage.
Stir to mix, then pour over the bagel, onion and peppers. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover and chill overnight.
Remove the strata from the fridge and allow to warm up while you heat your oven to 325°.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 30 to 40 minutes longer or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Let rest for ten minutes before serving.
Ms. Ray served hers with a lettuve and radish salad.
I went heavy on the coffee, fresh oranges, and a cherry kringle for dessert.
Nice.