Savory Bread Pudding

inspired by The Kitchn

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of day-old crusty bread (NOT some enriched, grocery store bread/something in the shape of a loaf pan - the simpler the ingredients and the more surface area the bread had open to the oven, the better) cut into 1-inch cubes
• olive oil
• 1/2 lb. sausage, casings removed if you got ‘em
• 1 large onion (or 2 mediums? one time I used some onion powder and it was okay!), diced
• A bunch of sturdy, leafy greens of your choice (think kale with stems removed, spinach, chard with stems chopped for use!)
• 2 cloves (or more or less) garlic, minced
• 1 tsp-sh dried thyme
• 3 c. fennel beans or 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 lb. mozzarella ripped up or shredded, whatever
• 4 c. broth of choice (mine)

Directions

1. To dry out your bread slowly, put the cubes on a rack and sit them out for a day! If you don’t have that kind of time, place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 250F oven until toasted, stirring halfway through, about 20 minutes total, and just leave them there after you turn off the oven.
2. When you’re getting close to when you want to start this 4-8 hour endeavor, heat your oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
3. Add the sausage and onion and cook, breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is done and the onions are tender. Might be 8 minutes. You can do the next step or two while that’s happening.
4. Meanwhile, if you’re using chard or some other hearty green with potentially edible stems (see: not kale), chop the stems into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
5. Whatever green you’re using, just rip the leaves up and sit them to the side.
6. If you’re using the stems, add them to the pan and cook with sausage and onion until the stems are softened up some.
7. Once that’s done or if you’re not using stems, add the ripped greens, garlic, and thyme and cook till the greens are wilting.
8. Add salt and pepper and taste to confirm its not terrible (the rest of the ingredients will add a lot so just keep that in mind).
9. Get your crock pot (or instant pot with slow cook feature) out and put about 1/3 of the bread cubes in the bottom.
10. Scatter 1/3 of the frying pan mixture on top.
11. Scatter 1/3 of the beans on top (see a pattern yet?).
12. Scatter 1/3 of the cheese on top.
13. AND repeat until you’re getting ready to put the last bit of cheese on top and…don’t! Refrigerate that for later.
14. Pour the broth evenly over everything.
15. Put the lid on it and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
16. About 30 minutes before it’s done, take that cheese out of the fridge and sprinkle on top.

Thoughts

Happy cozy season! I guess you could make this any time of year, but now begins THE time for this extremely satisfying pantry meal. I made this recently for guests, mentally recounting things I could make with what I had on hand and this struck them as “unique” so their choice was made. It did not disappoint and that’s a big reason why I’m even writing this :)

Fall, so far has been a strange transitional season in terms of produce. I suspect it has something to do with the excessive summer rain. Things that at least I think of as summer crops (peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and melons) were still making their appearances at farm stands along with winter squash and pumpkins. I feel like it’s taken me longer than usual to get into “real” fall cooking, but I guess it’s been fall and I’ve been cooking so..never mind?

• ← Red Velvet Batter
• Lazy Lime Pie →