Mexican Sausage Cornbread Strata

New Year's Eve. The end of 2020. I want to say good riddance but I also want to say thank you, because 2020 taught me things I didn't want to learn and needed to know. It taught me that I can cook for twenty-two people from a kitchen built for four. It taught me that a porch is a perfectly good dining room. It taught me that a virus can close the church but it cannot close the communion that happens when you leave food on a stranger's doorstep. It taught me that retirement is not the end of work. It's the beginning of the work you choose.

Denise came to the driveway at eleven p.m. Kayla came at eleven-thirty, still in scrubs from a shift that ended at ten. We stood in the cold — it was forty-two degrees, which in Savannah is arctic — and we held champagne glasses at arm's length and we counted down from a phone propped on the car hood. At midnight, the distant fireworks went off and we raised our glasses and Denise said, "To 2021." Kayla said, "To the vaccine." I said, "To Earl. And to feeding people." And we drank.

New Year's Day. Black-eyed peas. Collard greens. Cornbread. Ham hocks. The tradition, the eternal tradition, the food that carries luck into the new year whether the year deserves luck or not. I made extra and left a plate on Mrs. Crawford's porch. She called me at noon and said, "Dorothy Henderson, if you keep feeding me like this, I'm never going to die." I said, "That's the plan, Mrs. Crawford." She laughed. I didn't. I meant it.

Five years of this blog. Two hundred and sixty weeks coming. I don't know what 2021 holds — vaccines, maybe hugs, maybe the boil coming back, maybe the book getting finished. I don't know. But I know this: I will cook. I will feed people. I will stand at this stove until I can't anymore, and then I'll sit at this table and tell someone else how. That's the plan. That's always been the plan.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Cornbread has always been the anchor of my New Year’s Day table — sitting right there next to the black-eyed peas and the collard greens, holding everything together the way a good neighbor does. This Mexican Sausage Cornbread Strata is what I reach for when I need to feed more people than my kitchen was built for, because you make it the night before, slide it in the oven the next morning, and it does the work while you’re still counting your blessings. I left a pan of this on Mrs. Crawford’s porch more than once, and I will do it again, because that is the plan.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight rest) | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb Mexican-style chorizo or spiced pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles, drained
6 cups day-old cornbread, cut or crumbled into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook the sausage. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully cooked through, about 7–8 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 4 minutes more. Stir in the green chiles. Drain any excess fat and set aside to cool slightly.
Layer the strata. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread half the cornbread cubes in an even layer across the bottom. Top with half the sausage mixture, then sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack. Repeat with the remaining cornbread, remaining sausage mixture, and cheddar.
Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
Soak and chill. Pour the egg custard evenly over the layered casserole, pressing down gently with a spatula so the cornbread absorbs the liquid. Scatter the remaining 3/4 cup Monterey Jack over the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Bake. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is golden, the cheese is bubbling, and the center is set. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Rest and serve. Let the strata rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh cilantro if using. Serve warm directly from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mexican Sausage Cornbread Strata — The Cornbread That Carries the Tradition Forward