Sausage Apple Cinnamon Bread Strata

Darkness creeps in early Up North. This photo was taken at 4:50 PM Thursday.  

Christina Rossetti was an English poet (December 5, 1830-December 29, 1894) who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems. She is best known for her long poem "Goblin Market", her love poem "Remember", and for the words of the Christmas carol " In the Bleak Midwinter".

In the Bleak Midwinter
by Christina Rossetti

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

___________________________________________________________

Cook's notes: Sometimes we need a bit of comfort food to warm us on bleak cold days and evenings. Sweet spicy apple chunks, sausage and cheddar cheese add loads of flavor to this egg and cinnamon bread casserole. It's perfect for brunch or even dinner. Make it the night before and bake the next day. Raisin bread is a nice alternative to using French bread. Onions can be omitted from this recipe.

Sausage Apple Cinnamon Bread Strata

Ingredients:

• 1-(3/4 pound) loaf raisin bread
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 8 large eggs
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3/4 lb. breakfast sausage
• 1 TB. butter
• 2 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Grease a 13/9 pan.
• In a skillet saute onions with sausage. Drain juices and crumble sausage.
• In a bowl mix cinnamon and sugar and mix with apple chunks. 
• In a blender mix eggs, milk and vanilla.
• Cube raisin bread.
• In baking dish layer the following: 1/2 bread cubes , 1/2 crumbled sausage/onion, 1/2 apple cinnamon mixture, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese and then repeat layers. Pour milk and egg mixture evenly over strata mixture. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
• The next day bring strata to room temperature and bake covered @325 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. 

P.S. Don't forget to put a shoe outside your bedroom door tonight as St. Nicholas might be stopping by to pay a visit.