French Toast Strata with Sausage

Makes 8 servings

Alana

ingredients

Butter, room temperature, for baking dish
1 loaf (3/4 pound) brioche or challah, cut into 2-inch-thick slices and halved crosswise
4 fully cooked chicken sausages (about 12 ounces total), thinly sliced
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional)

1
Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish; arrange bread slices in dish, overlapping slightly. Place sausage slices between bread slices.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon salt until combined. Pour egg mixture over bread and sausage, pressing down on bread to submerge. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).
3
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap, and place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until strata is puffed and set in center, about 1 1/2 hours (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool 10 minutes.