Eggless Strata with Butternut, Sausage, Kale and Fontina

• Meat

  • 1/3 lb Pork sausage

• Produce

  • 1 Butternut squash, small
  • 2 large bundles Kale
  • 1 Shallot

• Canned Goods

  • 1 pint Chicken stock, good

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 Butter to grease gratin dish
  • 1 Salt and pepper

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 1 Olive oil

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 3 thick-cut slices Crusted bread, day-old hard

• Dairy

  • 1 pint Fontina

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 1/2 cup White wine

Found on food52.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash
• 1/3 pound pork sausage (I used a simple salt-and-pepper blend)
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 large bundles of kale, ribs removed, chopped
• 3 thick-cut slices of day-old, hard-crusted bread
• 1 pint good chicken stock (preferably homemade), or more if needed
• 1 pint shredded fontina
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Butter to grease gratin dish

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Peel butternut, remove the seeds, and chop into 1-inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 40 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Allow to cool.
• In a sauté pan, brown the sausage, breaking it up into bite-sized chunks. When it is nearly cooked, add the shallot and cook for about a minute before deglazing the pan with the white wine. Let the wine cook down, and remove the sausage mixture from the pan. Allow to cool.
• In the same pan, add the kale and season with salt. Let the kale cook down, remove from pan, and allow to cool.
• Cut the bread into large chunks, about 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to a large bowl and ladle the chicken stock over top. Let the bread soak up the chicken stock, adding more if needed. The bread should be fully saturated with the stock.
• Add the cooled squash, sausage, and kale to the bread and mix. Add the fontina, reserving a generous handful, and toss everything together.
• Reduce oven heat to 350° F. Butter a gratin dish and add the strata mixture. Sprinkle the remaining fontina over top. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and turn on the broiler. Cook under the broiler for 2 to 5 minutes, watching VERY CAREFULLY to make sure it doesnt burn. When the top is golden, remove from oven and serve.