CARAMELIZED ONION AND BREAKFAST SAUSAGE STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 6 minutes more. Set aside.
• Whisk the half-and-half, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the Muenster cheese, followed by the sausage-onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the half-and-half mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be assembled the day of; just let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.)
• On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Muenster cheese. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.