1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
2 bell peppers, preferably 1 red and 1 yellow, cut into short, thin strips
1 (6 oz.) can Lindsay® Crafted Green Ripe Olives or Lindsay® Crafted Black Ripe Olives, drained and halved crosswise
6 large eggs
2 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Italian bread with crusts, cut into cubes (about 8 cups)
2 cups shredded provolone or fontina cheese
Coat the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter; set aside.
Crumble sausage into a large deep skillet. Cook 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently and breaking up the sausage. Add bell pepper strips; stir well and continue cooking until sausage is no longer pink and pepper strips are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in quartered olives; set aside.
Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in milk, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Using a slotted spoon to keep sausage drippings in the pan, place half of the sausage mixture and 1 cup of the provolone cheese atop the bread. Repeat layering with remaining bread, sausage mixture and cheese. Discard sausage drippings.
Press down the layers with a large spatula. Pour egg mixture evenly over the layers, and press down again so all bread is submerged in egg mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Remove strata from the refrigerator and warm on the counter for at least 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F.
Bake strata uncovered until puffed and golden brown, about 55 to 65 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out moist but not dripping with egg. (The egg should be just softly set, not solid.) If the strata is browned but not set, cover with foil to prevent overbrowning and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes as needed.
When cooked through, let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
