Bread Pudding With Ham Leeks And Cheese Food

SAVORY LEEK AND BACON BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place baguette cubes onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until dry, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and set aside. Keep oven on.
• Meanwhile, warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until softened but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk milk and eggs together in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray; sprinkle a thin layer of Gruyere cheese on the bottom.
• Top Gruyere with 1/2 of the toasted bread cubes. Spread leeks over bread cubes and sprinkle diced bacon on top. Top with more cheese, reserving about half. Ladle 1/2 of the milk mixture over bread, leeks, bacon, and cheese. Slightly press bread cubes down into the milk. Layer remaining bread across the top, and continue layering leeks and bacon. Ladle remaining milk on top. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the casserole. Slightly press bread cubes down into the milk.
• Let casserole sit for 15 minutes.
• Cover casserole very loosely with aluminum foil so cheese does not melt against it. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until cheese and bread cubes are well browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes more.

CHEESY LEEKS & HAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. Cook the leeks in a pan of boiling salted water for 4-5 mins or until just tender. Drain and cool under a cold tap to stop them from cooking any further, then drain again well and pat dry on kitchen paper.
• Wrap each leek in a slice of ham, then arrange, side-by-side, in a large baking dish. Mix the cheddar in a bowl with the Dijon mustard and crème fraîche, until well combined. Season to taste. Spread over the leeks, then bake for 15-20 mins until bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

LEEK BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Put the leek rounds in a large bowl of tepid water and swish so that any dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl. Set a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, lift the leeks from the water, drain, and add them to the pan. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. The leeks will release liquid. Stir in the butter to emulsify, and season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a parchment lid, and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. If at any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce. Remove and discard the parchment lid.
• Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until dry and pale gold. Transfer to a large bowl. Leave the oven on.
• Add the leeks to the bread and toss well, then add the chives and thyme.
• Lightly whisk the eggs in another large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread half the leeks and croutons in the pan and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Scatter the remaining leeks and croutons over and top with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in the milk. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
• Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of bread to protrude. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the top is brown and bubbling.

HAM AND CHEESE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Grease 11x7-inch baking dish.
• Spread 1 side of each bread slice with butter.
• Cut into 1-inch cubes and place on bottom of prepared dish.
• Top with ham and sprinkle with cheese.
• Beat eggs in medium bowl.
• Whisk in milk, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture.
• Cover; refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake bread pudding, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean.
• Garnish, if desired and then cut into squares.
• Serve immediately.

HAM AND CHEESE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Spray an 8" pan with cooking spray (or butter bottom and sides of dish) and place bread cubes in pan.
• Heat oil in skillet, add onions and 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp black pepper. Saute onions over medium-high heat until translucent, continue cooking until onions are beginning to brown and caramelize.
• Add garlic and ham, cooking until ham is heated through and any moisture from ham has evaporated off.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, rosemary, salt and black & white ground peppers.
• After combining thoroughly, mix in cheese.
• Spread onion and ham mixture uniformly over bread cubes.
• Evenly pour mixture over bread and ham, taking care to moisten bread in corners and at edges too.
• Cover pan with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, but no longer than 24 hours hours or bread will disintegrate.
• Remove pan from refrigerator 1/2 hour before preheating oven.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake pudding uncovered for about 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, but moist. It will be puffed up and edges and corners will be golden brown.
• Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
• Leftovers reheat wonderfully.

BREAD PUDDING WITH HAM, LEEKS, AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-by-13- inch casserole dish. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook leeks, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a small bowl.
• Whisk together eggs and milk. Whisk in the salt and pepper. Set batter aside.
• Layer the bread, ham, reserved leeks, thyme, and cheeses shingle-style in the buttered dish. Pour batter over top; press gently so bread absorbs liquid.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown (tent with foil if edges brown too much before center is set), about 1 hour.

ROUND 2 RECIPE - SAVORY BREAD PUDDING WITH HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut all the bread into cubes. Heat the canola oil over medium heat, add the onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme leaves and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the diced ham, stir to combine and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Put the bread in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and add the onion and ham mixture. Toss together.
• Whisk the eggs and the milk in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes. Bake until the top is golden brown and the middle is set, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

LEEK AND GRUYERE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch (10-cup) round baking dish. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half. Transfer half of the leek mixture to a bowl, and reserve.
• Whisk cream, milk, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper into leek mixture in pan; bring to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup hot cream-leek mixture to eggs and yolks in a medium bowl, whisking. Whisk in another cup cream-leek mixture; return egg-leek mixture to pan. Cook, whisking, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Arrange 8 or 9 pieces of bread in prepared dish. Pour 2 cups egg-leek mixture over bread. Sprinkle half the reserved leeks and half the cheeses over bread. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange remaining bread in a slightly overlapping circle on top, and then add remaining egg-leek mixture. Sprinkle with remaining leeks and cheeses. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Cover dish loosely with foil, and place in a small roasting pan. Add enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of dish. Bake until golden brown and set, about 55 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Let cool in dish on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SARAH'S SAVOURY BREAD AND CHEESE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Make 2 cheese sandwiches by placing cheese slice between 2 bread slices and pressing together. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles and arrange in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Mix together beaten eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour mixture over sandwiches and sprinkle with grated cheese. (Note: Vary amounts if needed; sandwiches do not need to be totally covered in egg mixture, but egg should soak in and leave a little in the bottom of the dish.)
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, checking frequently.

HAM & SWISS BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Pour 1/4 cup butter into a 13x9-in. baking dish; set aside. Spread both sides of bread with mustard. Arrange 9 slices in baking dish. , In a large skillet, saute the ham, mushrooms and garlic in remaining butter until mushrooms are tender. Add the onions; cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer. Spoon over bread; sprinkle with cheese. Arrange remaining bread on top. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Stir in parsley; pour over bread., Place dish in a larger roasting pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325° until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.