Christmas Strata

Ingredients
1 lb. (500 g) sausage meat, any kind
1 onion, chopped
1 loaf egg or other hearty bread, sliced (day old is fine)
4 cups (1 L) shredded cheese, any kind (a mixture is fine)
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups (750 mL) milk
1 tbsp. (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp. (1 mL) ground cayenne pepper
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup (75 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions

Grease a 9x13-inch (23x 33-cm) baking dish.
Remove the sausage meat from the casing into a skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sausage is lightly browned and the onions are softened. Set aside.
Place a layer of bread slices into the prepared baking dish, cutting them so that they cover the bottom completely. Sprinkle with half of the cooked sausage mixture, then one-third of the shredded cheese. Now add a second layer of bread slices, the remaining sausage mixture, and another one-third of the shredded cheese. Finally, add a third layer of bread and all the remaining shredded cheese.

In a bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard, salt and cayenne. Pour over the layers in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When you're ready to cook, remove the plastic, arrange the tomato slices on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, until puffed in the middle and a knife poked into it comes out clean.