I Speak of Dreams

Bacon AND Sausage Breakfast Bread Pudding recipe

First draft of the Bacon AND Sausage Breakfast Bread Pudding recipe (I might have to tweak it again)

Ingredients per serving*:

• 2 slices of sourdough bread
• 2 slices of bacon (raw)
• 2 sausage links (raw) AND OR about 4 ounces of bulk sausage (mild or spicy your choice)
• [note: you can make this with just bacon or just sausage, just double the amount]
• 2 eggs (raw)
• 2 cups milk (whole or lighter, your choice -- I usually use whole as the texture's a bit better
• salt
• pepper
• Worcestershire sauce (or other savory sauce of your choice)
• Butter or margarine to grease the baking dish (butter is better)

Optional additions per serving (mix and match to your taste)

• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• 1/4 onion, diced and sautéd in bacon and or sausage grease
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup diced tart apple (particularly good with chicken-apple sausage)
• 1/4 cup celery, diced 
• maple syrup

Tools 

• Cookie sheet or broiler pan (to make the bread into croutons)
• Oven-proof bowl or casserole big enough to fit the desired number of servings (you can use two bowls)
• Pan to put water in
• Oven mitts.

Prep (at least the day before, you can do the prep up to a week in advance for the bread, a few days for the meat products)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
2. Slice the bread into strips, then dice.  (I make mine fairly large, like the size of my thumb, because they shrink in the croutonning process.)
3. Put the bread on the sheet or pan, and place in the oven until dry and crispy.  They will shrink up quite a bit, but they shouldn't brown at 200 degrees.  I've left them as long as 3 hours without any problem.
4. Take the now-croutons out and set aside for up to a week.  I usually put them in a plastic bag after they have cooled.

If using bacon:

1. Slice the bacon slices into squares
2. Sauté slowly OR bake in a 250 oven, catching the drippings.
3. Drain the grease and set aside
4. Refrigerate cooked bacon

If using sausage:

1. Links: Brown on all sides.
2. Bulk sausage: drop bite-size amounts in pan; brown on both sides
3. Drain the grease and set aside
4. Slice links into rounds -- fat sausage = thinner rounds.  You are aiming for bite-sized.
5. Refrigerate cooked sausage

If using onion: 

1. In the bacon grease, sausage grease, or a mix, sauté the onions until just beginning to color (turn golden).  
2. Depending on your appetite for grease, either set aside as is, or drain and pat down with a paper towel to degrease.  
3. Set aside and refrigerate the onions.

 I don't pre-cook the other ingredients -- the apples bake just fine, and I like the celery crunchy.

Day of serving -- starting about an hour and a quarter before you want to serve the dish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set the pan in the oven, and half-fill with hot water.
3. Thoroughly butter your baking bowl or casserole* and pour in the croutons, meat products, and any other optional ingredients, except for the cheese.
4. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, and using a hand mixer, beat until light and frothy.
5. Slowly add the milk, beating all the time.
6. Add the salt and pepper (I use about the same amount I use on scrambled eggs -- a few shakes of the salt shaker and a few grinds of pepper.  I measure the Worcestershire sauce the same way -- a shake or two.  You can always adjust seasonings on the plate.)
7. Beat again, and pour over the crouton mixture in the casserole or bowl.
8. Allow to sit for a few minutes, until the croutons become soft.
9. If you are using cheese, sprinkle over the top.
10. The egg-milk mixture should be just about to the top of the bread level.  If it isn't, don't fret -- just wait a few minutes and stir the mixture slightly, so soggyish bread is on top.
11. Place the bowl or casserole in the hot water in the pan.  If necessary, top up the water.
12. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife placed in the middle comes out clean.
13. WATCH OUT -- open the oven while standing to the side with your face turned away, as there will be steam from the hot water.
14. Remove the bowl/casserole, but not the pan of hot water.  
15. Turn the oven off.
16. Don't attempt to move the pan of hot water until it has cooled!
17. Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes, so you don't burn your mouth.

-----

*My sister Nance makes her version in a rectangular Pyrex pan.  I like the texture of a deep bowl or casserole better -- it tends to be crunchy on top, and really custardy in the middle.

 

Idaho Brunswick Stew

We're in Ketchum, Idaho to ski for six days.  When we're here, I often make a stew to have on hand for noshing or for impromptu dinner parties.  I asked Jumper Girl if she preferred a beef stew or some other animal protein.  "Chicken", she said, "with lots of tomatoes."

Again perusing the Joy of Cooking,  I hit upon Brunswick Stew.  There was only one problem: lima beans.   My antipathy for lima beans knows no limit.  I despise them; I refuse to partake of them; they are inedible; I'd liefer eat library paste; I have deep compassion for folk forced to consume them.  But the Ladies Rombauer note that Brunswick Stew has many variations, so one without [shudder] lima beans is surely acceptable.

Ingredients (as I made it this time)

• 1 whole chicken breast with skin and bones, halved
• 6 chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup canola oil (what was in the pantry; most oils will do)
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 mature carrots, peeled and cut into coins
• 2 cups sani-packed chopped tomatoes (I used what was in the pantry, which was Pomi brand, packed in Italy)*
• 1/2 cup Early Times whiskey**
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 15 oz. can of beans of your choice.  This time, I used kidney beans and I didn't drain them.  Next time, I might use garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed.
• 16 ounces (1 pound) frozen corn.  I avoid the super-sweet corn because it doesn't taste like corn; it tastes like candy.  You can also used canned corn.
• 1 cup [bread crumbs] [crackers pounded into crumbs] etc.  In this case, I used reduced-fat Wheat Thins made into crumbs.
• Worchestershire sauce (optional)

Procedure:

• Put the oil of your choice into a saute pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces; heat over low heat until a flick of water pops.
• Add the chicken and sauté, skin side down first.  When the pieces are light brown, turn over and brown again, lightly
• Remove the chicken and add the onions and celery; sauté until light brown.
• As the vegetables are browning, in a stewing pan or casserole, combine the tomatoes, liquor, water, cayenne, and cloves.  Bring to a simmer.
• Combine the chicken, browned vegetables, and the tomato mixture in the pot. Cover and simmer for about an hour.  Add the carrots any time during this period.
• After about an hour of simmering, remove the casserole from the heat and allow to cool.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator, overnight or up to two days.  

Preparing for serving: Personally, I prefer to reheat in an oven-capable container, but your kitchen might not have that capability.  In any case, re-heat very slowly.

• Reheat the stew mixture using your preferred method.  For this, I prefer low oven heat (if I have planned ahead far enough that there is time, and that the stew is in an oven-safe container.  Not always true...)
• When the stew is hot, stir in the pounded crackers, but only if you want a thicker liquid.  
• Meanwhile, in either a stovetop unit or a microwave-compatible unit, stir together the beans of your choice and the frozen corn.  The reason I don't drain kidney beans is that I like the taste and texture of the canning liquid.  Your milage may vary.  
• Heat the bean/corn mixture until it is as hot as the stew mixture.
• Combine and stir well.
• Taste and correct the seasoning.  This is where the Worcestershire sauce comes in --I usually add 1-2 teaspoonfuls.

====

*If I were at home, I probably would have added 1/2 cup California dried tomatoes packed in oil.   But there weren't any in the Idaho pantry.
** Not in the pantry, in the liquor cabinet.  I think it was left over from 2011.  The alcohol evaporates during the cooking period, so this is safe to serve even to babies.   I like the smokey taste.  Feel free to omit, or add some other flavor-ish spirit.

 

Persian Chicken, MacGyver Idaho Style

We are in Ketchum, Idaho.  We were supposed to arrive at 6:30; snow on the road from Boise made it closer to 8 pm.  We made a brief survey of the provisions in the pantry and went off to the store.  Jumper Girl announced she wanted chicken, and soon.  So we returned with supplies aplenty, including one whole chicken breast.  Perusing the Joy of Cooking, I determined that Persian Chicken would be the most expeditious recipe, but we were lacking key ingredients.  

The original recipe calls for 1 cup of ground walnuts and  1/2 cup of  pomegranate juice or the juice of two lemons.  No walnuts, but there was a half a box of reduced-fat Wheat Thins, which are pretty nutty in flavor, and there was a bottle of lemon juice, and some raisins to balance the acidity.  Herewith, the recipe, with acknowledgements to Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken breast (with skin and bones), halved down the breastbone.  It was about 2 pounds.
• 2 tablespoons oil (canola, in this case)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup crushed Wheat Thins (rather stale, in this case)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup raisins (too dessicated to eat out of hand, but fine for cooking)

Procedure

• In a large pan, heat the oil, and then brown the chicken on both sides.  I started with the skin side.
• Meanwhile, in a second pan or a casserole dish large enough to hold all the chicken, melt the butter and sauté the onion until tender and golden. 
• Select a casserole dish or stock pot large enough to hold all the ingredients.  Combine the sautéed onion,  Wheat Thins, lemon juice, chicken stock, and raisins and bring to a simmer.
• When the chicken is deep golden brown on both sides (or until you lose patience) nestle the chicken in the casserole.  
• Cover and simmer until done.  I always use an instant-read thermometer; the chicken is safe to serve at 165 degrees.  This took about 30 minutes.
• Take the chicken out of the sauce and allow to rest, while you:
• Whisk the sauce in the casserole to break up any remaining cracker pieces, and correct the seasoning.

The Joy of Cooking suggests serving with boiled rice, but hey! We are in Idaho, so it was steamed fingerling rainbow potatoes (white, yellow, pinkish, and blue) .  The sauce was delicious with the rather earthy potatoes.

Brown Rice Jook or Congee, vegetarian or otherwise: surprise ingredient

I live at sea level.  Right now I'm up in the mountains, and as often happens, the first few days well....there's digestive distress. I wanted a bland breakfast, and I love jook or congee  anyway.  

We didn't have any white rice in the pantry, just long-grain brown rice, so the current edition's ingredients:

• 2/3 cup long grain brown rice
• 6 cups liquid (for this iteration, I used 2 cups of chicken broth & 4 cups water.  If you aren't using a broth, add a small amount of salt, like 1 teaspoon)
• 2 inches of whole, fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thick coins
• 2 tablespoons Ovaltine*

Place the ingredients into a dutch oven at least 2 quarts in size.  Bring the mixture to a boil and either

• reduce the heat and almost simmer, for 2 hours
• place in a 225 degree oven for 2 hours.

I chose the latter.  In either case, stir occasionally.  

I liked the finished product a lot.

*About the Ovaltine: congee or jook is usually made with white rice, and is blindingly white when finished, which I think is part of the appeal as a convalescent food or hangover cure.  But this iteration was already sort of an off-putting beige, and besides, the broth was too bland.  So I thought, what about mashing up mole and jook?  We didn't have any chocolate other than Ovaltine, so I went for it.  While the odor of malt and chocolate was evident while it was cooking, the finished jook didn't have an obvious chocolate or Ovaltine flavor, just sort of ...meaty.

I refrigerated the batch, and prepared it as follows:

• Ladle the desired serving into a microwave-safe dish
• Nuke until hot 
• Garnish with your choice of: slivers of last night's meat, a bit of lettuce, some parsley, top with beaten egg and nuke again briefly to cook the egg through (you know, the egg-drop soup idea, only with porridge), some chopped fruit, or some dried fruit bits.....

Confetti Salad, Or N-Bean Salad

I make a n-bean salad for potlucks & large parties. The value of n depends upon how many servings you want to end up with. I usually call it "confetti salad" because that's the final presentation idea -- lots of small pieces like confetti.

This is more of construction or assembly instructions rather than a recipe.

Minimum value of n, so far, has been 3 -- kidney, garbanzo, and the small white beans. The upper limit for n is probably around 6, depending upon the resources of your grocery store.  You can use fresh soybeans (edamame) as one of the beans.  I also like using canned hominy as one of the "beans"; if I do, I always include corn kernels (frozen) as one of the crunch elements.  

My cooking prowess with dried beans is rather dismal, so I use canned beans.

For each 15-ounce can of beans (or hominy), you will need an equal volume of crunchy stuff -- red & green bell peppers, celery, jicama, apples, bok choi stems (but not the green leaves), peas (frozen), corn kernels: white, yellow or both (frozen), carrots--let your imagination be your guide. I'd include celery and green bell pepper at the minimum.

I don't include green beans, since most members of my family dislike them even as a trace ingredient in salad. Your milage may vary.

I do not usually include onions, as many of my family members dislike them. Your milage may vary. If you do use onions, choose the sweetest, mildest onion you can find, and hold the volume down to less than 10% of final volume--unless, of course, you are cooking for onion-lovers.

Procedure:

Estimate the final volume of the salad (2 x 15 oz x n). Obtain a mixing bowl that is significantly larger than final volume.

Open the can of kidney beans and drain, reserving the can juices for the eventual dressing. Put the beans in mixing bowl.

Open the other (n-1) cans. Taste the can juices. If YOU like the flavor, reserve the can juices for eventual dressing. Otherwise, drain and discard, rinsing the beans.(Personally, while I love garbanzo beans, the canning liquid is nasty.)

Dressing

You can use any standard vinaigrette that you like, or:

For every can of beans, make about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dressing, or for 3 cans of beans, end up with 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup).

I tend to use:

The reserved juice from the kidney beans, plus 1 part white wine vinegar to 1 part bottled lemon juice, unless Meyer lemons are handy, in which case I juice the Meyer lemons, plus an oil, usually a mild olive oil or a bit hazelnut oil and a mild olive oil.

Like this:

1 tablespoon kidney bean juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon oil (as above)

a pinch of mashed garlic

a bit more of Dijon (prepared) mustard

fresh ground pepper, to taste

Wisk together and taste.  You may feel the need to add salt or otherwise adjust the seasonings.

Some recipes add sugar, to the tune of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar for each can of beans.  I have added a bit of sugar to the dressing, if I don't have any lemon juice on hand, but not at that rate.  

I like to stir the salad together about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to mingle.  The peas (if used) tend to get khaki-colored, even with the light vinaigrette, in that time so you might add the peas just before serving. 

The emergency, OMG I forgot I was supposed to bring a salad to the potluck version:

1 canopener

1 gallon ziplock bag

1 bag "coleslaw mix" -- the ones with carrots

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzos

(optional) 1 more can beans, your choice

1 bottle of your favorite prepared low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing

Open & dump coleslaw mix & kidney beans straight into the ziplock bag.  Shake. 

Open & drain remaining can(s) of beans, then dump into bag.  Shake.

Shake the bottle of vinaigrette.  Pour into ziplock bag as much as you see fit.  Shake.

You are good to go.

Pesach / Passover 2011

I'm usually Late to the party.  Folk have been preparing for days, and it's already happening east of here.

California Haroset (Charoste) -- the adobe version. Remember that haroset symbolizes the mortar --

Shopping  or Pantry List: 

• 1 lb pitted dates,
• 1-1/2 cups red wine, Kosher for Passover (I used Manischewitz--the recipe calls for cooking for a long time, so don't use good drinking wine)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cup (125 g) tree nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds.  I usually use a combination with hazelnuts predominating.)
• 2 small or one large tart green apple (I use Granny Smiths but orther dense, tart apple varieties are fine),
• lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Chop the dates into pieces the size of your little fingernail.  Dates are sticky, so you can either oil the knife or keep wiping  the blade with a wet towel.
2. Put the dates into a pan with the wine, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is soft. (Time will vary depending on how dry the dates are.)
3. While the dates are cooking, process the nuts into crumbs.  You can do this by mincing the nuts with a knife, pounding them, by or using a food processor to chop the nuts into fine pieces. Stop well before you have nut butter -- you want little tiny pieces. 
4. Prepare the apples.  Core them, peel them, and then grate them.  I use a mandoline rather than a food processor for this.   I grate the apples into very acidulated water: 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and stir the grated apples so they are all in contact with the acidic water.  This prevents the appsles from turning brown while the rest of the process goes on.
5. When the dates are very soft, puree them in a food processor. 
6. Combine the nuts, date puree, and apples. You can correct the seasonings as you like -- I added a bit more lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the dates.

The quest for the best microwaveable multigrain hot cereal

JumperGirl and I share a dislike for cold cereal, prefering hot, and even better, multigrain (although I have a tremendous childhood fondness for MaltoMeal & corn-meal mush).

The BetterOats Raw Bare is pretty good, and danged handy, coming as it does in a pouch that is also a measuring cup.  The flavored versions (chai and cinnamon plum spiced) are way too sweet.

But the hands-down winner so far is Bob's Red Mill 5 rolled whole grain hot cereal.

Alas, Campbell's Pepper Pot Soup is No More

It went out of production a while ago, before I could buy up a couple of cases.  Darn!  I don't even have examples to taste-test against, unless there are a few cans squirreled away in the pantry elsewhere.

I have my grandmother's Joy of Cooking from 1943, and happily, it had a recipe.  I haven't made it yet, so I can't really compare.  I've messed with the recipe a little.

I knew it contained tripe -- an organ meat not much seen now.  I consulted the Cook's Thesaurus about tripe:

Tripe is the name given to the stomachs of various animals, but most recipes that call for it intend for you to use beef tripe.  Cows have four stomachs, and the first three yield merchantable tripe. 

• Blanket tripe = plain tripe = flat tripe = smooth tripe comes from the first stomach,
• Honeycomb tripe (pictured at left) and pocket tripe from the second, and
• book tripe = bible tripe = leaf tripe from the third. 
• Honeycomb tripe is meatier and more tender than the other kinds and considered to be the best, but all these kinds of tripe can be used interchangeably in recipes.  Tripe is almost always sold bleached and partially cooked.  This saves a lot of work, since unprocessed tripe would need to be cooked for many, many hours to make it tender enough to chew. 

Irma S. Rombauer's Pepper Pot Soup

Stock

• 6 cups of chicken or veal stock. You can make your own (I like Alton Brown's recipe) or use a boxed product.

Soup--ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon (streaky rashers), thick cut, or 4 slices.
• 1/4 pound Canadian bacon or 2 slices (back bacon or cured smoked pork loins)
• 1/2 onion, minced, about 1/3 cup
• 3 ribs celery, minced, about 1/2 cup
• 2 green peppers, seeded and minced
• 3/4 pound honeycomb tripe, washed and shredded
• 1 lb of a waxy low-starch potato variety such as Superior, Kennebec, Red Bliss, peeled and diced to make 1 cup
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour

Method:

• Use: a heavy 3-quart plus saucepan
• Cut the bacon (streaky rashers) into small pieces
• Saute until brown
• Cut the bacon (Canadian or back bacon) in to small pieces, reserve
• To the browned bacon, add the minced onion, celery, and peppers, and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add the Canadian/back bacon and return to simmer
• Add the shredded honeycomb tripe, the soup stock, and the bay leaf
• Bring mixture to the boil
• Add the potatoes
• Cover and reduce heat to simmer; cook for at least 60 minutes.
• To thicken the broth: at the end of the cooking time, melt the butter in a saute pan and add the flour.  Cook without browning for at least 3 minutes.  Still over heat,  dribble in about 1/4 cup of  soup broth, whisking all the while, until mixture is smooth and bubbles.  Return mixture to soup pot, stir, and serve.

Update: Huzzah! I found an ingredients list for Campbell's Pepper Pot Soup

Ingredients
Beef Tripe Stock, Water, Cooked Beef Tripe, Beef Stock, Potatoes, Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Carrots, Bleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Tomato Paste, Contains less than 2% of

Here's another recipe from Road Food

Ort. Carlton's Pepper Pot Soup

Here's a old fashioned Pepperpot Soup recipe for anyone who wants to try it... In my family--and my great grandmother was the queen of pepper pot--cognoscenti insisted on a sprinkle of cider vinegar at the table. Serve hot as a slender meal to 4 people.

Ingredients -- Soup

• 2 quarts water
•  veal or beef bone
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dry whole red chili pepper
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 whole onions
• 2 pounds honeycomb tripe, well washed (can also blanch)
•  4 potatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon marjoram

Ingredients -- dumplings

• 1 1/2 tablespoons lard (better) or butter (good)
• 1 cup flour + extra for flouring hands
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Method--Soup

• Bring water, bay leaves, chili pepper, and salt to a boil.
• Add the tripe, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer for at least 2 and 1/2 hours.
• Remove the veal bone, bay leaves, pepper, and onion.
• Take out the tripe, then slice into paper thin strips and mince crosswise.
•  Skim the fat off the top of the stock and return the tripe to the pot with the diced potatoes.
• Thin with boiling water so it's nicely soupy. Allow to simmer until you're ready to serve--hours, if possible, as you want the tripe to be as tender as possible.
• When ready to serve, rub the marjoram into the pot between the heels of your hands. Bring soup to a good simmer,
• Drop in dumplings and cook until they are done. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with a cruet of cider vinegar on the table for final flavoring. 

Method--dumplings

• Mix flour, baking powder and salt with a fork or whisk
• Using a pastry knife or two knives, cut butter/lard into flour mixture
• When well mixed, gradually stir in mil
• Flour your hands, and roll dough into small balls.

Menudo is a popular Mexican soup, also based on tripe.  I tried a couple of canned menudo soups, but as much as I like hominy, it just wasn't the same.  And the tripe pieces were too big.  One of the commenters at Mombu the Cuisine Forum suggested adapting Rosie's Menudo recipe:

Whomever "Susan" was (the person who was interested in finding the Campbell's Pepper Pot soup clone recipe) can just adapt the "Rosie's Menudo" recipe posted on the newsgroup here on January 5, 2002 just by replacing the can of Hominy found in the recipe with finely cubed potato and carrot chunks plus orzo noodles like found in the Campbell's soup.

Tastes exactly the same as the Campbell's P.P. soup to me.

I think the commenter is mistaken -- unlikely that it had orzo, more likely barley.  Most menudo recipes are much heavier on the tripe than Pepper Pot was.  I don't think I'm going in that direction. 

as always, click to embiggen

Tamale Pie

Ditz Family Tradition: Tamale Pie

This is one of those casseroles that is infinitely expandable.

Ingredients for every 4 people, more or less:

2 Frozen Turkey Tamales, (Maita Bros' Golden West Brand)
1 can Creamed Corn (14 oz mol)
One can  Black Olives
1/4 lb. Cheddar Cheese, shredded (if you like, traditional,  but I omit it)

Thaw tamales sufficiently to unwrap.  Working over the large casserole you will use for the tamale pie, open the tamales, allowing the masa (the yellow cornmeal pastryish substance) to fall into the pot.  There are several layers:  the outer plastic wrapping, the inner paper wrapping, and the corn husks.  Also allow the stuffing (a mix of tamale sauce and diced turkey) to fall into the pot.  Add the can of creamed corn.  Begin to heat over very low heat.  The mixture should become rather thick. Drain the can of olives, and stir in. Continue to heat the tamale pie over low heat.  When thoroughly heated, you can sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Enjoy.

Savory Breakfast Brunch Bread Pudding for Six

 Ingredients

• 12 slices of sourdough bread
• 6 Eggs
• 3 cups of milk (whole or reduced-fat—your choice)
• ½ lb sausage (bulk or skinless links)
• ½ teaspoon salt optional
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
•  optional 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

 Instructions:

The day before:

• cube the bread and allow it to stale. This is important, otherwise the pudding is soggy

Night before serving:

• saute the sausages until brown. After they are done, drain and reserve fat and slice the sausages. Refrigerate.

Morning that you are going to serve the dish:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
•  Butter a baking dish thoroughly ( I use a rectangular glass pan). You can also use the reserved sausage fat.
• Have a larger pan available to set the baking dish in.
• Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl, and lightly mix in the sausage slices.

Alternatives:

1. Folding beaten eggwhites into mix

a. Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until foamy, and then add ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, and beat until stiff but not dry

b. Beat the yolks until light yellow, and slowly beat in salt and milk

c. Pour the yolk-milk mixture over the bread cube mixture, mix lightly to coat all cubes, and allow to soak for 15 minutes. You may have to stir again. The idea is to have little or no liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

d. Optional: fold in ½ cup of grated cheese

e. Fold the eggwhites lightly into the bread mixture

f. Spread evenly in the greased baking pan. Place baking pan inside the larger pan in the oven, and add hot water to the larger pan

g. Bake for about 30 minutes,

h. Optional scatter the remaining cheese over the top.

i. Bake for another 15 minutes, and test the center with a knife. It should come out clean.

j. Serve.

2. Easier method – beat whole eggs.  Not as puffy but just as delicious

a. Beat the whole eggs until light and foamy.

b. Slowly beat in salt and milk

c. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the bread cube mixture, mix lightly to coat all cubes, and allow to soak for 15 minutes. You may have to stir again. The idea is to have little or no liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

d. Optional: fold in ½ cup of grated cheese

e. Spread evenly in the greased baking pan. Place baking pan inside the larger pan in the oven, and add hot water to the larger pan

f. Bake for about 30 minutes,

g. Optional scatter the remaining cheese over the top.

h. Bake for another 15 minutes, and test the center with a knife. It should come out clean.

i. Serve.