Walnut Bread Pudding with Mushrooms, Spinach and Fontina
| Serves | 8 |
|---|---|
| Menu Part | Side Dish |
Chef Randall Selland
The Kitchen Restaurant
Sacramento, Calif.
This savory bread pudding makes a unique alternative to traditional stuffing. Chef Randall Selland uses leftover sourdough bread as a base, adding onions, mushrooms, spinach and walnuts for color, flavor and texture. Eggs, milk and fontina cheese enrich the pudding and hold the ingredients together so it bakes up into a craveable side dish.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped spinach
4 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-in. cubes
Steps
1. In large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms; season with salt and pepper and cook until onions and mushrooms are half their volume and slightly brown.
2. Fold in spinach and cook until wilted.
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half and milk; add onion-mushroom mix, walnuts and cheese. Pour over bread cubes and let stand until liquid is absorbed completely, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spoon bread mixture into lightly greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan, smoothing top. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking 5 to 10 minutes until top starts to brownand a knife or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Photo courtesy of California Walnuts