This breakfast tastes better cooked last night

The Sherpas are big fans of breakfast on our days off. Do not, under any circumstances, take that to mean that we are big fans of cooking breakfast on our days off.

We wake up every day of the workweek and go to someone's house to cook. Why would we possibly want to do that on a non-work day? Just to put it in perspective, do you, gentle readers, enjoy, first thing in the morning, on your day off, approving a mortgage, replacing a motor mount, configuring a firewall, or doing whatever activity you do to provide income? Didn't think so.

We recently prepared something for a client that made the proverbial light bulb go off in our heads. Like most of you, we cook in the evening. This was a breakfast dish that could actually be prepared the night before, tossed in the oven in the morning, and be better than if made fresh from start to finish.

Quite simply a savory breakfast twist on bread pudding, this sausage, tomato, and pesto strata hits on all cylinders for the requirements of Sherpa breakfast. Cook at night? Check. Nothing more complicated than making a cup of coffee in the morning? Check. Tasty? Check.

The only thing lacking is someone to actually throw it in the oven and do the dishes afterward.

SAUSAGE, PESTO AND TOMATO STRATA

1 bunch basil

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

8 slices stale bread

1/2 pound breakfast sausage, cooked and chopped

2 tomatoes

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil in a food processor to make the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

In a greased pie pan, layer the stale bread, sausage and tomatoes, and drizzle with the pesto. Repeat as necessary until you're out of ingredients. Beat together the eggs and milk, season with salt and pepper, and gently pour over the ingredients in the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

The next morning, place the strata in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the strata sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.