Savory Bread Pudding With Ham And Asparagus Food

HAM, FONTINA, AND SPINACH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Diagonally cut baguette crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices and brush both sides with butter. Toast on a baking sheet under broiler 3 inches from heat until golden, about 30 seconds on each side.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sauté onions in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add ham and sauté, stirring occasionally, until ham is lightly browned.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl and whisk in milk, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Add toasted bread and toss gently. Transfer bread as saturated to a shallow 3-quart casserole, slightly overlapping slices. Add any remaining egg mixture.
• Tuck spinach and ham between slices, reserving a little ham to sprinkle over top. Sprinkle cheese over pudding, lifting slices with a spatula to allow some to fall between them. Sprinkle reserved ham over pudding and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffed and edges of bread are golden and custard is set in middle.

SAVORY ASPARAGUS BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan or casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
• Using a serrated knife, cut the bread into 3/4-inch cubes and put all of the cubes in a large bowl.
• In medium bowl, whish together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and dill until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread.
• Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the bread along with the mushrooms and shallots.
• Fold everything together well to combine the ingredients. Spoon them into the prepared pan and pat down the top to compact the ingredients. Sprinkle the cheese evenly ever the top.
• Bake the pudding for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp and there is no liquid in the center. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into portions.

SPICED AND HONEY GLAZED HAM WITH SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For the spiced and honey glazed ham: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Blend together the honey, Toasted Spice Rub and thyme.
• Place ham on an open brown paper bag or waxed paper for easy clean up. With the tip of a paring knife carefully score a 1-inch grid pattern around the outside of the ham.
• Brush the entire surface of the meat on all sides with some of the honey mixture.
• Add about 1/2 cup of water to the base of a roasting pan. Lay the celery sticks in the bottom of the pan and then place the ham on top of the celery.
• Cook for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, baste ham with juices that collect in the base of the roaster and the honey. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving as desired.
• For the savory bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Using a serrated knife, shave off the thicker parts of the crust from the bread loaf. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a 13 by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in a large bowl. Leave the oven on.
• In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over high heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for 10 seconds to release its fragrance.
• Pour the onion mixture over the toasted bread. Add 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and toss well.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and nutmeg. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and toss well.
• Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange the toasted bread evenly in the baking dish. Pour the custard evenly over the bread. Scatter the blue cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and crispy on top and a thin knife blade inserted into the custard comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into individual servings and serve warm.
• Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan, add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.
• Put mixture into a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze. *See Chef's Notes

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.

SAVORY ASPARAGUS BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F & spray a 9x13-in baking dish or casserole w/non-stick cooking spray.
• Cut bread into 3/4-in slices by stacking 4-5 slices & then cutting them into 3/4-in cubes. Repeat w/remaining bread & put cubes in a lrg bowl.
• In med bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper + dill till combined & pour over bread cubes.
• Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus & cut the spears into 1-in pieces. Add them to the bread along w/the mushrooms, shallots & olives (if using).
• Fold everything together well to combine the ingredients, spoon into the prepared pan, pat down the top to compact the ingredients & sprinkle the cheese evenly ever the top.
• Bake for 45 min or till the top is browned & crisp & there is no liquid in the center. Allow to sit for 10 min b4 cutting into portions.
• Ann's STRESS SAVER TIP: Look for frozen asparagus tips & bags of unseasoned bread cubes to save prep time.
• Ann's EYE APPEAL TIP: Instead of mushrooms (or as a simple addition), add 1 cup sliced pitted black olives for color contrast & a flavor complement to the asparagus (I included this in the recipe as an opt add).

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.