Frugal Sausage Strata – Perfect for Leftovers

A great way to use leftovers and inexpensive ingredients, sausage strata is both filling and tasty, great for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.

I really want to call this dish sausage sizzle strata because I first cooked this after coming home with leftover cooked sausages and bread after running a school sausage sizzle.

I’m not a fan of sausages at the best of times (although we eat them regularly because they are cheap and the rest of the fam like them). But cold, slightly overcooked sausages? Yeah, nah.

So I needed a way to make them edible, and strata came to the rescue.

What is Strata?

Strata is a type of eggy frittata with bits of bread, making it perfect for using up leftover stale bread. For best results, put the strata to rest in the fridge for a few hours or overnight so that the bread can soak up some of that eggy, milky goodness.

As well as eggs, milk, bread and sausage, you add flavourings like mustard, garlic, and any vegetables on hand. I had planned baby spinach but had none, so I used frozen peas instead. Frozen peas are super cheap, so overall, this is an inexpensive dish. Frozen vegetable medley would also work well.

Making Sausage Strata

If you don’t have any leftover sausage, the first step is to pan-fry six to eight sausages and roughly chop.

You can use any leftover meat you have on hand or leave it out completely for a vegetarian version.

Roughly tear up the bread and scatter it over a buttered, oven-safe dish. Next, spread the chopped-up sausage. If you’re using spring onion, sprinkle that in now. If you want to use a brown onion, slice it finely and cook in a pan before adding. Finally, scatter the frozen peas over the sausage.

Depending on what vegetables you add to your strata, you may want to pre-cook them. Fresh carrots or onion, for example, will be better pre-cooked if you don’t want them too crunchy.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and bread, cover with foil and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven, sprinkle some cheese over the top if desired and bake, covered, for around half an hour. Remove the foil and bake for around fifteen extra minutes or until the cheese is golden and the egg is cooked through.

Strata Leftovers

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheat leftovers, covered, in the oven at 180C for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave.

Leftover cooked strata can also be frozen for up to two months. Cool to room temperature and freeze, covered well. You can also freeze individual portions wrapped in baking paper and stored them in an air-tight container.

To reheat frozen strata, place frozen strata straight in the oven at 180C and heat for about 20-30 minutes for individual slices, more for a whole casserole, or until warmed through.

What to Serve with Sausage Strata

As there is bread, sausages, eggs, and veg all in the strata, it’s a one-pan meal – you don’t have to have sides with it.

If you prefer, you can serve this with a side salad or some extra steamed vegetables.

You can eat Strata for lunch, dinner, or as a filling breakfast. This dish served the four of us with plenty of leftovers.