Bread pudding doesn’t always have to be sweet. I made a savory version this holiday season instead of the traditional stuffing. There are so many things that can be added to this version, add asparagus in the Spring or tomatoes in late Summer.
Leek and Mushroom Bread Pudding
½ loaf French bread- cubed
2T grape seed oil
1 cup leeks, sliced or chopped
1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz aged gouda, shredded
5 eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 250 degrees- dry bread cubes in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 325.
Sauté leeks, mushrooms, and garlic until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In small greased casserole dish add bread cubes. Add leek and mushroom mixture. Top with shredded cheese.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs with milk and season with salt and pepper. Make sure that eggs are beaten well as to not have clumps of egg yolks or whites.
Pour over mixture in casserole dish and make sure that bread cubes are soaked in the custard mix. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes so the bread soaks up the custard.
Bake for 30 minutes or until set. If the top is getting too brown before set, cover with aluminum foil until done.
If you can’t find aged gouda you can use another strong hard cheese like asiago or parmesan.
