Description
A savory ham and cheese bread pudding made with day-old sourdough bread, creamy custard, and sharp cheddar cheese, baked to golden perfection and topped with fresh chives. Perfect for a comforting brunch or hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread and Base
- 12 oz sourdough bread, day old
Custard Mixture
- 10 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, minced
- 4 oz thick-sliced cooked ham, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cut the day-old sourdough bread into cubes. If the bread is fresh, dry it in the oven at 225˚F for 30 minutes to achieve firmness suitable for the pudding.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350˚F to ready it for baking the pudding.
- Cook Shallots: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced shallots and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Mix Custard: In a large bowl, beat together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, and grated nutmeg until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir the cooled shallots, diced ham, and fresh thyme leaves into the custard mixture. Then fold in half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Assemble: Pour the mixture into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to soak.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes until the pudding is set and the top is nicely browned. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil partway through baking.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, top with chopped fresh chives, slice into squares, and serve warm.
Notes
- Using day-old bread is essential to absorb the custard without becoming soggy.
- If using fresh bread, drying it in the oven helps to remove moisture.
- Covering the pudding with foil halfway during baking prevents excessive browning.
- Feel free to substitute ham with cooked bacon or sausage for variation.
- Sharp cheddar adds a nice tang; mild cheddar can be used for a subtler flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg
