Bread Pudding With Ham Leeks And Cheese Recipes

LEEK BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, drain excess water from leeks, and add to pan. Season with salt, and sauté until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 30 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While leeks are cooking, spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry and pale gold, about 20 minutes, turning pan about halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl, leaving the oven on.
• Add leeks, chives and thyme to the bowl of bread; toss well. In another large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then whisk in milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread 1/2 of bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Spread remaining bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough milk mixture to cover bread, and gently press on bread so milk soaks in. Let rest 15 minutes.
• Add remaining milk mixture, letting some bread cubes protrude. Sprinkle with salt and remaining cheese. Bake until pudding is set and top is brown and bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING WITH MUSHROOMS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Grease 2 baking dishes with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Cut sourdough loaf into 1-inch cubes and divide cubes between the dishes.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook leeks in the melted butter until they begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook until mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon mushroom mixture over the bread. Mix cream, eggs, 2/3 of the cheeses, thyme, and parsley together in a large bowl. Pour over the bread and mushrooms. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Uncover puddings and sprinkle remaining cheeses on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops begin to brown, about 40 minutes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SAUSAGE AND LEEK SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 12-ounce ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spread the brioche on a second rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and squash and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until the sausage is browned and the squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the leeks, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until the leeks are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the chicken broth, cream, parsley, chives and eggs in a medium bowl. Add half the brioche to the ramekins. Divide the sausage mixture among the ramekins; top with 1 cup of the Gruyere and the remaining brioche. Pour the egg mixture over and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Gruyere.
• Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture. Bake on the baking sheet until the custard is set and the bread pudding is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.