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| Savory Bread Pudding |
Bread pudding is the dessert of the moment. Why stop there? I tried this today and it was a cinch. In full disclosure, I had some sourdough bread that was a little past its prime for sandwiches, so this seemed like a good way to use it up.
This fills the same category as an amazing mac + cheese, just with bread instead (and only one step!). It couldn't be simpler. The recipe is very forgiving, so don't worry about exact measurements.
4 whole eggs
1 c milk or half and half
3-4 cups sourdough bread, cubed into 1 inch pieces
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or finely chopped
3 oz parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs, chopped (rosemary, thyme, chives, marjoram, and parsley all work well)
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 clove chopped garlic
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a buttered ceramic baking dish, bread the bread. Top with the cheese, reserving about 1/3 of the cheddar for later. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and milk or cream until well combined. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, onion and herbs. Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread and cheese, folding together with a spatula until well combined (make sure none of the bread is completely dry, but it doesn't need to be soaked evenly). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the custard puffs and is set. Top with the rest of cheese, switch the oven to broil, and put back in just long enough for the cheese and top bread cubes to golden.
Other ideas for this basic recipe:
-Swap the cheddar for Swiss or gruyere and add ham or prosciutto (lighten up on the salt)
-Add apples and dried cranberries or raisins (omit the garlic and onion) for a nice savory and sweet dish.
-Add red peppers, chorizo, cilantro (lighten up on salt and omit other herbs aside from chives) for a latin-inspired dish.
-Add calamata olives, chopped frozen spinach (in the egg mixture), and fresh oregano instead of other herbs for a Greek take. Top with feta or kasseri instead of cheddar at the end.
