A few days ago, it was a rare day in SoCal…it rained. Being the proud homebody that I am, I adore a rainy day. The heat is on at a comfortable temp, a warm cup of tea sits comfortably on my desk (all day), and my ugg slippers are the shoe of choice.
Eli woke up that morning with a “bit” of the sniffles (I knew he was faking, but we are all entitled a day off now and again). The one condition; he was to stay out of my hair. I had some work to catch up on for a few clients and I was really looking forward to a day to cross some stuff off of my to-do list.
At 10:30 a.m. Eli started asking what was for lunch. I ignored him as much as I could, but then I realized that it is rare that I have a lunch partner. Lunch was going to be a joint effort, something that we could do together. With some turkey sausage in the fridge, washed leeks, a brick of feta, and some left over challah, I knew exactly what I was going to make; the ultimate comfort food – a Savory Bread Pudding.
While Eli cut the challah in cubes, I removed the casing from the sausage, sauteed it with a little olive oil and then pulled other ingredients that would compliment the main ingredients. Eli loves my rustic herb stuffing, thus I was confident that he would love this just as well. This impromptu lunch, using pantry and fridge staples was not only delicious but rewarding. Lunch with a partner, and not just any partner, was a welcomed pleasure.
A Savory Bread Pudding
This is the perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Leftovers were eaten the next morning for breakfast and M took a huge helping to work with him for lunch. Using ingredients on hand, Eli and I created a delicious, hearty dish that costs about .95 cents a serving!
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons organic butter, unsalted (plus more for the baking dish)
1 lb turkey sausage
2 cup leeks, washed and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped
6 large, organic eggs
1 1/2 cups organic, whole milk
8 oz. good feta cheese
1/2 cup hard ricotta, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
5 cups stale bread, cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and place on rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the sausage, breaking it up while sauteing until the meat is no longer pink. This should take about 5 minutes. Place sausage in a bowl and let cool slightly.
In the same pan, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and over medium to low heat, saute until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Set aside.
In a glass bowl whisk the eggs until combined. Add the milk, feta, ricotta, salt, and white pepper. Mix well.
In large bowl, combine the sausage, vegetables, and cubed bread. Toss to combine.
Pour the egg/cheese mixture over cooked ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place in prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until no longer wet in the middle. Let rest for 10 minutes before diving in!
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.