Breakfast Strata with Sausage, Mushrooms & Monterey Jack

6 large eggs

1 3/4 cup half-and-half

2 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, minced

8-10 1/2" thick slices French or Italian bread

3 tablespoon butter, softened

8 oz. bulk breafast sausage, crumbled

3 medium shallots, minced

8 oz. white button mushrooms, cleaned & quartered

salt

pepper

1/2 cup med-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 T butter; set aside.

Fry sausage in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage apart with wooden spoon, until sausage has lost raw color and begins to brown, about 4 minutes; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 1 minute longer.  Add mushrooms to skillet, and cook until mushrooms no longer release liquid, about 6 minutes; transfer mixture to medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 C , 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Butter 8" square b king dish with remaining 1 T butter, arrange half buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle with half of sausage mixture then 1/2 C cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle with remaining sausage mixture and another 1/2 C cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half & half, parsley, and 1 t salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (very important), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50-55 minutes (or about 1 hour and 20 minutes for double recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, serve.

From the Kitchen of: Cooks Illustrated, December 2001