Bread Pudding

In France it’s called just “pudding” and in Belgium it’s known as “bodding,” but the British really began the tradition of using stale bread for a bread pudding
.
All cultures seem to have some form of bread pudding. A comfort food for centuries, there are many ways to make it. Sometimes savory, more often sweet, it can be a main dish for supper, breakfast, brunch, a dessert or an item on your party buffet. My friend came back from a holiday party raving about the apple and cheese bread pudding cooked and served in a miniature crock pot. Delicious, she said.

I couldn’t resist. I looked on the internet and through many cookbooks looking for an apple-cheese bread pudding and came up with a few. I didn’t find any that were meant to be cooked and/or served in a crock pot, but I figured bread puddings should adapt to that appliance beautifully. Here are the winners of my very tasty and comforting foray into a lovely dish which we often serve at the Candlelight Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Apple Cheddar Bread Pudding (adapted from Food Network.com)

I made this in both individual ramekins and in a larger soufflé dish. The ramekins can be frozen after baking and brought out for the number of people you are serving. The ramekins can be placed in a larger baking pan lined with a kitchen towel. Pour hot water to come up halfway and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees or until thoroughly hot. Uncover and top with a small amount of grated cheddar. Put foil tops back on and turn oven off. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.

5 or 6 slices of whole-wheat bread
¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large tart and crisp apples or 1 apple and 1 ripe pear, cored, peeled and diced
3 large eggs
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 325. Coat 2-quart soufflé dish or 8 individual ramekins with cooking spray. Trim crusts from bread and cut each slice to fit bottoms of ramekins or to fit into soufflé dish bottom. Fill with any leftover bread. Coat top of bread with cooking spray, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Scatter cheese over bread and top with fruit. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until blended. Whisk in milk. Pour mixture evenly over other ingredients. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, plain or with a dessert sauce.

Crock Pot Apple and Cheese Bread Pudding

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
Cooking spray
6 slices French bread, Italian bread, or any firm bread, toasted and cubed
½ cup golden raisins
1 thinly sliced, peeled apple
¼ cup melted butter
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

In small saucepan, combine sugar and water and boil over medium-high heat until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes; set aside. Spray interior of small crock pot with cooking spray. Layer half of the bread cubes in bottom of crock pot, add half the syrup, raisins and apples; repeat with remaining cubes, syrup, raisins and apples. In mixing bowl, combine butter, eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over bread mixture. Cook on low setting for 3 hours. Lift cover and sprinkle with cheese; replace cover and watch until cheese is melted. Serve from crock.

Here is a dish that would really make a good impression at a brunch. Bread puddings are perfect for buffet service, as they hold heat well and are also good at room temperature with a heated sauce. Here the apple-cheese theme is carried out with the apples served separately.

Cheese Bread Pudding with Caramelized Apples

2 cups stale bread, cubed
½ pound Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups whole milk
3 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp melted butter
½ tsp. salt

2 medium apples, cored, peeled and sliced thickly
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar (packed)

Butter a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Layer half the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread cubes and cheese. Beat remaining ingredients together and pour over bread and cheese. Let stand one hour. Place baking dish in a 9” x 13” pan and pour water into pan to a depth of one inch. Place pan in preheated 350 degree oven and bake one hour. Meanwhile, saute apples in butter. Sprinkle brown sugar over apples in skillet and continue to saute until apples are tender and caramelized. Serve on the side of Cheese Bread Pudding