Apple, Onion, and Sausage Breakfast Strata

It's no secret here at It's Not My Best that apple, onions, and pork are frequently featured together (hint: check out the related posts for more on this subject). However, breakfast is notoriously missing from that list until now. A lot of the ingredients here can be substituted for more favorable flavors, but don't forget why you're making this in the first place; it's a savory dish and should be respected as such.

Ingredients

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups cut-up country-style bread (1-in pieces), left out overnight to dry

1 tbsp unsalted butter

3/4-1 lb smoked kielbasa sausage

1 medium onion, diced

2 apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

5 oz Gruyère, cut into 1/4-in cubes

Kosher salt

Honey, for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish or cast-iron skillet.

2. Whisk the eggs, milk, nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the dried bread, allowing it to soak up the majority of the liquid. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer the kielbasa to a cutting board, but keep all of the butter and kielbasa fat in the pan. Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and allow the mixture to cool a bit. Once the sausage is cooled, slice it into 1/2-inch rounds.

4. Add the cooled apple mixture, kielbasa, and Gruyère to the soaked bread and fold together with a spatula until evenly combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish or pan and bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

5. Serve wedges of strata topped a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.