Italian Sausage Strata

Italian Sausage Strata

½ cup butter or margarine, softened, divided
12 to 16 slices day-old bread, crusts removed
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups sliced onions
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, cooked and drained
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
2 ½ cups milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustartd
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Using ¼ cup butter, spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Place half of the bread, butter side down, in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms and onions in remaining butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon half of the mushroom mixture over bread in prepared pan. Top with half of the sausage and cheese. Layer with the remaining bread, mushroom mixture, sausage and cheese. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, nutmeg and ground mustard. Pour over cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, covered at 350 for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yields: 12 servings