Perfectly Seasoned, The Recipes

If you’re looking for a hearty side dish for dinner, add this savory bread pudding to your repertoire. Our recipe is loaded with vegetables and sausage, but can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the meat with crumbled meat alternatives, doubling the amount of mushrooms, or selecting a variety of mushrooms like king trumpet and oyster mushrooms.

Skip the squishy white bread and spring for a good quality bread. Select sourdough, country loaf, or baguette—you’ll want something with a crusty exterior. Definitely let the bread soak up the custard base before baking to ensure a moist and even texture.

Ingredients

1 loaf of bread (day old)
1 lb Italian sausage
2 tbsp butter, plus more for greasing
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 leek, split in half and sliced into 1/4” pieces
4 oz oyster mushrooms, cut into 1” pieces
8 oz crimini mushrooms, cut into 1” pieces
8 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 tbsp Perfectly Seasoned Herbes de Provence
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions

Prepare the bread ahead of time by cutting it into 1″ cubes, or for a more rustic look, tear the bread by hand. You should have 8-10 cups of bread. Lay the chunks out on a sheet tray or large cutting board and set aside at least 2 hours, then transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Transfer to the bowl with the bread and reserve any rendered fat in the pan.

Using the same skillet, add the butter and sauté the bell pepper, celery, and leek, along with a pinch of salt 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften and pick up color from the fond. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook another 3–5 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the bread and sausage meat.

In a medium sized bowl, lightly beat the eggs, ensuring the yolks are all broken. Whisk in the milk, then add the Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Pour this over the bread and vegetables and toss, being sure to press the bread a little to encourage absorbing the custard base. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours, tossing at least twice.

When ready, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Liberally grease a 9″ × 13″ casserole dish with butter, making sure it gets into the corners and comes all the way up the sides.

Give the bread pudding one final toss, then pour into the casserole dish, spreading it out evenly, and cover with a lid or sheet of foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered, then remove the lid, raise the temperature to 400°F, and bake an additional 10–20 minutes until the top is browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread pudding to cool 10–20 minutes before serving.

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