Easy Sausage Strata

From Bon Apetit. This is easy to make--even a beginner can master it. You can prepare the night before, cover and refrigerate until morning. Then just bake and serve. We like stratas for Christmas or Thanksgiving mornings when you're too tired to try to cook breakfast and then a huge dinner. If you prepare this on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning will be easy.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 6  large eggs
• 2 1⁄2 cups  whole milk
• 2  cups green onions, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  whipping cream
• 1⁄2 cup  grated romano cheese
• 2  tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  lb hot Italian sausage
• 1  large red bell pepper
• 1  lb  French bread
• 2  cups  grated Fontina cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 13x9x2 pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pepper. Set aside
3. Remove casings from sausage and place sausage in a large non-stick skillet. Add chopped red bell pepper. Saute on high, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon until the sausage is cooked about 7 minutes.
4. Cut bread into 1/2 " cubes and arrange a row of bread cubes on the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
5. Sprinkle with 1/2 cheese, then half the sausage/pepper mix. Repeat layers.
6. Pour egg mixture over the top. If serving that day, let it stand for 20 minutes for the bread to soak up the mixture. If serving the next day, refrigerate.
7. Bake strata until puffed and brown about 1 hour at 350°F Cool slightly and serve.