MOUNT ZION -Pat Zulauf of Mount Zion has an idea for making Christmas morning a bit less stressful.

This recipe assures that all that needs to be done in the morning is making coffee and pouring orange juice, maybe milk for the younger ones.

"When my son was a baby, I did not have time to make a regular breakfast. As he grew older his excitement of Christmas morning got less about breakfast and more about what was under the tree and in the stocking.

"Making this casserole the night before, I was able to put it in the oven early Christmas.;morning, then unwrap Christmas presents at a relaxed pace.

"Then," continued Zulauf, "when the casserole was done, everyone was ready to settle down and eat and enjoy the rest of morning."

And Zuluaf suggested that the recipe means no kitchen work, so that made the morning more enjoyable for her as well.

She said she has only the recipe following these directions, when asked about using wheat bread or sausage substitute for those who prefer vegetarian fare.

"I didn't even know there was a sausage substitute," she added with a smile.

Sausage Strata

6 slices of white bread

2 pounds sausage

6 ounces grated Swiss cheese

1 1 /2 cups milk

3 /4 cup half and half

4 eggs

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Place bread in bottom of greased 9-by-13 pan. Brown and drain sausage, then cover bread with sausage and cheese.

Combine milk, half and half, eggs, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, then pour over the sausage mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Let stand before serving.

Cook's note: This would be equally good with low-fat milk, low-fat cheese and light bread.

"It cuts down on calories that way," Zulauf added.

Nutrition information per serving, approximately 8 servings: 370 calories; 227 calories from fat; 10g saturated fat; 174mg cholesterol; 21g protein; 14g carbohydrates; 529mg sodium; 1g fiber.

Editor's note: Since we frequently use meatless sausage in our household, here's a comparison of nutrition data using meatless sausage:

Nutrition information per serving, approximately 8 servings: 188 calories; 84 calories from fat; 5g saturated fat; 127mg cholesterol; 11g protein; 15g carbohydrates; 158mg sodium; 1g fiber.

amannlein@herald-review.com|421-6976

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