Savory Vegetable Bread Pudding

Recipe found at Taste, Love & Nourish

Andy, had a Christmas party to go to for his rock crawling group (yes, I was invited. Been there, done that.. not my thing.) and I sent him with a pot full of chili and a couple of (small) loaves of bread that we purchased at the farmer's market - one sourdough loaf, and the other a garlic loaf. Probably half of each came home, however, they did devour the chili. :)

 Rock crawling

(That's my hubby)

What does one do with a bunch of leftover bread - besides making croutons? Make bread pudding; of course it would have to be a savory type, with the garlic and all. 

A quick Google search led me to this delicious recipe. It was even better the next day when we had it for lunch. There was still plenty left over, so one of our employees took the rest home for him and his wife for dinner he liked it so much.

Sauté some onion, celery, red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, garlic and thyme.

Toss the bread cubes with some olive oil and bake until golden.

In your largest baking dish, toss the sautéed vegetables, bread cubes, cheese, and egg mixture together and top with some additional Gruyére cheese.

Enjoy.

Recipe adapted from Taste, Love and Nourish

Savory Vegetable Bread Pudding

Serves 6-8

1 day old baguette, cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes

3 Tbl. olive oil, divided

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 eggplant, diced (I omitted)

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 large tomato, diced

2 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly (I minced)

4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

3½ cups non-fat milk

5 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. nutmeg

8 oz. Gruyére cheese, grated

2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley

In a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, add 2 Tbl. of the olive oil, onions, celery, and the red bell pepper, sauté for two to three minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and continue to cook for another two to three minutes. Add the tomato, garlic and thyme and cook for one minute more. Season with just a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the cubes of bread on a large baking sheet. Drizzle one tablespoon (or more if needed) of the olive oil over the cubes. Toss to coat. Toast them in the oven for about twenty minutes, tossing them occasionally. When the cubes are golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, then mix in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, toss together the bread cubes, vegetables, cheese, and egg mixture. Place in a large casserole dish (9x12 approx.). Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

Bake for about 45 minutes (Mine took just over an hour to cook).  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

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