Spinach Pudding Recipes

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, POACHED EGGS, AND PARMESAN-THYME CREAM

Steps:

• For the Parmesan-thyme cream: In a heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium-low heat, add the cream, bay leaf and garlic. Simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes, being careful not boil the liquid or scorch the bottom of the pot. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and bay leaf. Whisk in the Parmesan. When the Parmesan has melted the sauce is smooth, add the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve warm. (Make 1 quart.)
• For the savory bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and thyme; cook for another 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. In another mixing bowl place the cubed bread. Pour the milk-egg mixture over the bread and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes, until the bread has soaked up liquid. Fold in onion mixture.
• Grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread mixture and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the top is toasted and golden brown, another 10 to 15 minutes.
• To serve, cut into 4-by-4-inch portions and place on a plate. Add a sausage patty, 1/4 cup of the spinach and two poached eggs. Pour one-quarter of the Parmesan-thyme cream over the top.

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.

SPINACH NOODLE PUDDING

Steps:

• Saute onions until golden in 1/2 stick of butter.
• Toss in garlic and cook for additional 2 minutes.
• Cook noodles according to directions on package.
• Drain noodles and toss with the other 1/2 stick of butter and blend with the spinach, sour cream, sauteed onions and eggs.
• Salt and pepper to your taste.
• Mix well.
• Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees.

SPINACH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended.
• Stir in spinach, cheese and bread with rubber spatula.
• Pour into 13X9 baking dish.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, or until browned and puffed and knife inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from oven let stand 5 minutes before serving.

LEEK OR SPINACH SOUFFLé PUDDING

Steps:

• Sweat the leeks in 100 grams of butter with salt until just barely beginning to brown and totally dry, about 10 minutes.
• Make a béchamel by melting the remaining butter in a small pot, then adding the flour, stirring to combine, and then slowly adding the milk, whisking, until it boils and thickens.
• Let cook 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off burner.
• In a blender, blend the vegetables and béchamel until totally smooth. Add the Parmesan and then the yolks, one at a time, until it is all incorporated. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
• Preheat oven to 325. Place a medium- to high-sided ovenproof container into which a loaf pan or 1 1/2- or 2-quart soufflé mold can fit on a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat water in a kettle. Fill the container in the oven about halfway, keeping extra water for filling more once you've put the soufflé pudding in.
• Beat the whites to stiff peaks.
• Lightly butter the pan or mold.
• Gently fold a third of the beaten whites into the vegetable, béchamel and yolk mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the rest, and add to the pan or mold. Place this into the water bath in the oven. Water should come 2/3 of the way up its sides. Lightly cover with a loose piece of buttered or oiled aluminum foil.
• Cook for 1 1/2 hours, or a little more, until the soufflé has risen at least an inch above the pan or mold - remove foil when the soufflé begins to push against it - and the top cracks. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

SPINACH PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold puff pastry; cut each sheet into 12 sections. Place in greased mini muffin cups, pressing gently onto bottoms and up sides, allowing corners to point up., In a large bowl, stir together spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, feta, 1 egg, garlic, pepper and salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup. Bring pastry corners together and pinch to seal. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg. Brush over pastry edges. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.