Overnight Breakfast Strata

Add time (and extra sleep!) back into your mornings with this Overnight Breakfast Sausage Strata Recipe! A deliciously hearty breakfast casserole that comes together FAST and lets the fridge and oven do the rest of the work.

It’s a hearty breakfast bread pudding loaded with cozy flavors and great for a lazy weekend or to bring to brunch with friends! I’ve included detailed instructions, step-by-step photos, and a video to walk you through the recipe!

This Breakfast Strata With Sausage Is So Easy!

What if I told you that you can sleep in AND have a delicious breakfast in the morning? You’d be all in, right? Meet the breakfast dish that makes those dreams come true with this Sausage Strata Recipe!

And no, you won’t be sacrificing flavor to do so! Instead, this breakfast dish is LOADED with flavor that may even have you crawling out of bed early in anticipation of devouring it!

I got this recipe from a friend; she called it sausage bread pudding, and I absolutely loved it the first time I had it. I’ve made it several times since and improved the original recipe with maple syrup, thyme, garlic, and extra butter. It’s now a holiday breakfast staple in our home – even my 3-year-old gobbles it up!

Simply take 15 minutes to prep the dish the night before and then slide it into the oven to bake off the next morning!

Breakfast Strata Recipe Ingredients

• Sandwich bread
• Ground breakfast sausage
• 100% Pure maple syrup
• Salted butter
• Fresh thyme
• Yellow onion
• Garlic paste
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Large eggs
• Half & half
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper

How To Make Breakfast Strata With Sausage

1. Step 1: Remove the crust from the sandwich bread and cut each slice into cubes. Then, transfer the bread cubes into a large mixing bowl and set it aside.
2. Step 2: Cook the ground breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the 100% pure maple syrup over the cooked sausage in the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Step 3: Transfer the syrup-coated sausage to the large mixing bowl with the bread.
4. Step 4: Reduce the heat and sauté the sprigs of fresh thyme and chopped yellow onion with butter in the same skillet. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
5. Step 5: Stir in the garlic paste and cook for an additional minute. Then, discard the sprigs of thyme.
6. Step 6: Transfer the mixture from the skillet into the bowl of bread and sausage.
7. Step 7: Add shredded cheddar cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Stir the strata mixture together to thoroughly combine.
8. Step 8: Transfer the bread and sausage mixture into a greased baking pan, spreading the mixture out so it evenly covers the pan.
9. Step 9: Beat together the eggs, half & half, sea salt, and ground black pepper together in a new bowl.
10. Step 10: Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage mixture in the pan.
11. Step 11: Cover the pan and transfer it to the fridge to chill for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
12. Step 12: Once chilled, place the strata into the oven to bake until it’s slightly puffed up and the top has begun to turn golden brown.
13. Step 13: Slice, serve, and enjoy the breakfast strata with sausage!

Breakfast Strata Substitutions & Variations

• If you have unsalted butter on hand instead of salted butter, then go ahead and use that instead.
• You can replace 100% pure maple syrup with regular store-bought syrup if you prefer.
• Tailor this casserole to your taste buds in terms of vegetables, meat, and cheese. Feel free to add in other sauteed vegetables such as peppers, spinach, kale, or mushrooms.
• Though we love this strata with Jimmy Dean’s breakfast sausage you can also make it with turkey breakfast sausage. You can even mix in diced ham and chopped bacon for a meatier variety!

How To Serve With Breakfast Bread Pudding

This breakfast bread pudding is best served warm with a drizzle of 100% pure maple syrup!

You can also complement the strata and serve it with sides such as a bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt topped with granola, and of course, a mug filled with your favorite coffee or tea.

If you’re serving breakfast bread pudding at brunch, you could make other delicious breakfast options for friends and family to choose from as well! Cinnamon rolls, Bloody Marys, Everything Breakfast Cookies, or even another savory option such as my delicious Biscuit and Gravy Casserole!

Storage Instructions For Sausage Breakfast Strata

To store leftover sausage strata you can transfer slices into an airtight container or tightly wrap the baking dish. Leftovers should be kept in the fridge to enjoy within 3 to 4 days.

To reheat individual slices, I recommend doing so right in the microwave, you can also reheat in the oven.

How To Freeze Sausage Strata

You can also bake Sausage Strata ahead of time and then store it in the freezer to enjoy later. To do this, make and bake the recipe according to the recipe instructions.

Then, once the strata is completely cooled you can tightly wrap the baking dish, as long as it is freezer-safe, with multiple layers of aluminum foil. Individual slices of the strata can also be frozen in airtight containers.

The breakfast strata can then be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To reheat the entire casserole from frozen, transfer the strata from the freezer into the oven at 350 degrees F and bake for about 45 minutes or until warmed completely through.

More Breakfast Recipes:

• Biscuits and Gravy Casserole – Made with refrigerated biscuits and ground breakfast sausage!
• Best Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes – The perfect stack of pancakes for the weekend!
• Twisted Bacon – The popular TikTok recipe that the internet went crazy for!
• Air Fryer Donuts – Lightly crisp on the outside yet deliciously fluffy on the inside!
• Cinnamon Muffins with Streusel Topping – A cozy batch of yummy muffins in under an hour!