Cheesy Chorizo Strata

One of my favorite brunch dishes to make is a strata, which is kind of a savoury french toast casserole. It is the perfect dish to prepare when hosting a brunch because it can be completely made the night before, and then you just pop it in the oven before guests arrive and you are good to go. You can completely customize this recipe by replacing the sausage, cheese and veggies with pretty much anything you wish!

Cheesy Chorizo Strata
Serves 8

• 1lb. loaf of French bread, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 lb. smoked chorizo, cut into small cubes (make sure to use the Spanish smoked chorizo, and not the Mexican chorizo, which is raw)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used a cheese with hot peppers in it)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Grease a large casserole dish.
2. Slice the bread into about 32 slices and arrange into the casserole dish.You will probably have about 2 layers of bread.
3. Top the bread with the chopped chorizo, peppers, onions and shredded cheese.
4. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, paparika, salt and pepper.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, pressing down to make sure all the bread is covered. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you don't want to wait that long, you can let it rest for 20 minutes).
6. When ready, place the strata in a 375 degree oven and bake until set, about 1 hour. 
7. ENJOY!