Brunch: Savory Bread Pudding

S: Yesterday, Chris bought all the ingredients for me to make the savory bread pudding recipe from my Food52 Cookbook for the Sunday brunch we were planning on having with friends on the downstairs deck this morning. It turned out to be amazing and awesome and all of those other super positive a-words that you can think of. More than highly recommended for brunch. (Also note: I have a fiancé who volunteers to go grocery shopping for me when I am busy running around town with my maid of honor searching for the perfect wedding dress. Have I mentioned he's awesome? Also, finally found a dress! More on that later.)

For the chevre, I went with a firm goat cheese called Pantaleo from Sardinia that Chris bought at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop. (He purchased two different kinds of cheese, so that I could pick which one I thought would work best. That's an indicator of how much he loves me and also of how much we both love cheese.) The cheese is aged a minimum of one hundred days and is ridiculously delicious.

From the Food52 website.

Savory Bread Pudding

3 cups diced bread (I used whole wheat.)

4 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

4 ounces chevre, finely crumbled (Pantaleo)

3 ounces prosciutto, diced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (Used dried thyme, half the amount.)

2 shallots, minced

4 crimini mushrooms, sliced

Cracked pepper, to taste

1/4 cup shredded gruyere or parmesan (Parmesan for the win!)

Toast bread cubes in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Leave oven on at 350. In a bowl, mix together eggs, milk, and cream until thoroughly blended. In a 9x9 square baking pan, toss together bread cubes, prosciutto, shallots, mushrooms, thyme, and pepper. Gently stir in chevre. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. If desired, garnish with a shredded cheese, such as parmesan or gruyere, for a golden crust. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

 Not as perfect looking as the Food52 photo, but delicious nonetheless. 

(Recipe and top photo via Food52; other photos by Sandra)