Savory Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
1-2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green, red or yellow pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
4 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 TBS brandy
3 TBS unsalted butter
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 TBS parsley, finely chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt/pepper
6 cups cubed bread (Italian, French, Sourdough, etc.)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 cup light cream)
3 eggs
1 tsp nutmeg
1 TBS maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 TBS goat cheese
To Do:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss squash in olive oil to coat and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Remove the squash from oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
- In the meantime, cook garlic with a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until tender. Crumble the sausage and cook over medium-high until browned. (Note: I had some diced yellow pepper handy, so I added a handful to the pan, but you can omit if you want.)
- Stir in the brandy and butter and let cook about 5 minutes before adding in the kale.
- When kale is tender but still bright green (about 3 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and stir in the roasted squash, parsley and red pepper flakes. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- While your sausage is browning or your squash is roasting, cut your loaf of bread into bite-size cubes. (I find it easier to cut the loaf into thick slices first, then cut those lengthwise into strips, then crosswise into cubes.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and eggs until well combined.
- Add the nutmeg, maple syrup, ginger and garlic powder, and a pinch or two of salt and mix together.
- Add the bread cubes and gently stir until moistened. Let soak for about 10 minutes until liquid has absorbed completely.
- Stir the sausage/kale/squash mixture (including any liquid) into the bread mixture and combine.
- Transfer to a large, greased baking dish and pat down to fill completely.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, covering with foil for the first 30 minutes.
- When browned and lovely, dot the top with the cheddar and goat cheese, then bake for about 5 minutes more.
- Let cool 10-15 minutes, then serve with a simple salad.
Delish!
(Who says you can't have dessert first?)
xoxo
