This savory, sage-studded bread pudding is a side dish fit for fall.
Cheesy Mirliton Bread Pudding
Makes 8 to 10 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning*
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3½ cups ½-inch-diced peeled mirlitons (about 3 mirlitons)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
- Garnish: fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a large bowl, toss together bread, melted butter, and Cajun seasoning, tossing to coat. Spread out on prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Toss, and bake for 10 minutes more. Let cool on pan.
- Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from skillet.
- In same skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add mirliton, salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add sage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion mixture, stirring until combined. Toss bread into mirliton mixture, and spoon into prepared dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Pour over bread mixture, gently pressing bread down to absorb. Let stand for 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally to soak up egg mixture.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes more. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
*We used Slap Ya Mama Original Cajun Seasoning.
