Bread Pudding Recipes

Whenever I have leftover bread, I like to make bread pudding. It makes a great dessert, and its savory version is an excellent brunch dish. Here are a couple of my favorite bread pudding recipes. They can be tailored to your own tastes and to what ingredients you have on hand.

For the dessert version you can use whatever leftover bread you have on hand. To add some extra sweetness and flavor, you can use brioche or cinnamon bread.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

16 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

6 large eggs

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups leftover bread torn into ½-inch pieces

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan heat the milk and cream until bubbles form on top. Add half of the chocolate chips and whisk until they are completely melted. Remove pan from heat and let chocolate cream mixture cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, spices and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the chocolate cream mixture and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.

Add the bread and stir with a wooden spoon until all the bread is moistened. Let the bread mixture sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. Ideally, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Stir the mixture occasionally.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 1 ½ quart casserole. Pour half the bread mixture into the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Cover with the rest of the bread mixture.

Bake until the pudding is set, about an hour. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Variations

Instead of serving the bread pudding with whipped cream or ice cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce. For peanut butter cup lovers, melt a few tablespoons of peanut butter and drizzle the slices before serving.

Substitute white chocolate chips in place of chocolate chips.

Around the holidays, I'll omit the chocolate altogether and use leftover cranberry sauce. It's best when the cranberry sauce has chopped cranberries.

Brunch Bread Pudding

Ingredients

½ pound chorizo or Italian sausage, casings removed and chopped

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

8 large eggs, beaten

½ stick butter, melted

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Monterey jack (or pepper jack) cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt

1 dash cayenne pepper

1 dash cumin

1 cup sour cream

8 cups leftover bread, torn into ½-inch cubes

Directions

On medium-high heat, sauté the chopped sausage until it's brown and slightly crispy. Remove sausage from pan and add peppers and onions. Sauté until the onions are shiny and translucent. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the milk and cream. Add eggs and whisk together thoroughly. Melt the butter and coat the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" casserole. Pour the remaining butter into the milk and egg mixture. Add bread and stir until the bread is coated. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Add sausage and vegetables to bread mixture. Next add three-quarters of the cheese, all the seasonings and mix well. Pour the mix into the casserole. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for one hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the sour cream and remaining grated cheeses. Remove casserole from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees F. Spread the sour cream mixture on top of the casserole. Return to the oven and bake until the casserole is golden brown on top, about another 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

For variations you can change the types of cheeses to your liking. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Instead of sausage, use pepperoni or bacon.