Savory Bread Pudding

This weekend was filled with lots of mother-daughter time, birthday celebrations, and relaxation. I could not have asked for anything more. For our Mother's Day festivities, we decided to stay in and cook brunch together on Sunday morning instead of venturing out. 

I wanted to try something neither of us had ever made before, and that's exactly what we did. We went with a savory bread pudding that combined two of our favorite things - mushrooms and cheese. Delicious. 

Mushroom & Gruyere Bread Pudding

(Serves 6 - adapted from here)

Ingredients:

- 8 cups of French bread, cut into (2-inch) cubes

- 3 cups of skim milk, divided

- 2 1/2 cups of portobello mushrooms, chopped

- 3 1/2 cups of white button mushrooms, chopped

- 2 tsp olive oil

- 1/4 cup of fresh Parsley, chopped (with a little extra to sprinkle over top)

- 3 large eggs

- 1 egg white

- 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese, divided

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- Dash of salt & pepper

- Cooking spray

Method:

1. Combine the bread with two cups of milk in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

4. Add all of the mushrooms and saute for four minutes. 

5. Then add the garlic, parsley, salt & pepper to the mushrooms and stir. Saute for another minute, and remove from the heat. 

6. Combine 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and egg white in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

7. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and spoon half of the bread mixture into the dish, and spread out across the bottom of the pan. 

8. Top the layer of bread with the mushroom mixture, and top with 1/2 cup of cheese. 

9. Place the remaining bread on top of the mushroom layer, and top with the remaining cheese.

10. Pour the egg mixture over top of the dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (or until the mixture sets). Serve, and enjoy!

This recipe would be perfect for the holidays or any time when you're feeding a larger group. So good!