Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding
Makes 6-8 servings
Assemble a day prior to baking and refrigerate, covered with foil, until ready to bake. Bring to room temperature before cooking or increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes. This is a versatile dish: Use almost any type of crusty bread or challah, fresh or a few days old, and almost any green, such as arugula, kale, Swiss chard or escarole. Serve for brunch or a simple weeknight meal with a salad. 1 loaf (about 8 cups) French bread or challah, cubed 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil 1 large onion, cut in half from root to top and very thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 pound fresh mild Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled 2 cups Swiss chard, chopped 2 cups milk (nonfat, low-fat or
whole) 4 large eggs 1 cup grated Gruyére cheese 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¹⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (do not use pre-grated)
1. Place the cubed bread on two sheet pans and toast under the broiler, being careful not to burn, until golden. Set aside.
2. Turn oven heat to 375 degrees and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Immediately add crumbled sausage to pan and sauté until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat if necessary.
4. Add chard to the sausage mixture, turn the heat to low and stir to wilt and soften the greens. Remove pan from heat. 5. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Stir in the Gruyére, cubed bread and seasonings. Add sausage mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. (After 30 minutes, if the top is brown, cover the casserole with foil and continue to bake until the center is cooked.)