Culinary arts student Watson adapted a family recipe to enter into a contest featuring tomatoes, and this bread pudding was chosen as the winner. The recipe is a smart way to cross-utilize leftover, day-old bread, and the use of tomatoes in place of fruit makes for an unexpected dessert or side dish.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, divided
4 lb. fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups peasant or Italian bread, cut into 1-in. cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
  2. In large saucepan, combine tomatoes, 1 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add bread cubes; stir until bread is well coated.
  3. In small bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/2 cup hot bread mixture. Gradually stir egg-coated bread into bread mixture in saucepan until well mixed.
  4. Spoon bread mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings

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