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
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together bread, melted butter, and Cajun seasoning, tossing to coat. Spread out on prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Toss, and bake for 10 minutes more. Let cool on pan.
  4. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Preheat oven to 350°.
  9. 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.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/cheesy-mirliton-bread-pudding/