Savory Chorizo and Onion Bread Pudding

Leftover French bread. There is never a shortage of it in our house.
We buy a baguette, gros pain, or campaillette almost every other day and usually don't finish the entire loaf.

So what do you do with it all?
There aren't any village dogs to carry it away since our neighbor's dog, Goomy, passed on. And the village cats don't want it.
There are only so many things you can do with croutons and breadcrumbs.
My New Orleans Bread Pudding is so decadent and rich, and I think should be saved for special occasions. (Husband might disagree. I think he would gladly eat it every day)
And I can't fathom just throwing it away.


My Greens Cookbook has a recipe for Savory Bread Pudding that I've glanced at over the years, and the other day, as I sat there looking at this big chunk of day old gros pain sitting on our kitchen counter and thinking that there was simply no more room in our freezer for more breadcrumbs, inspiration struck.

In the end I didn't use Deborah Madison's recipe. Kevin Weeks had a Savory Spanish Bread Pudding recipe on his blog, Seriously Good, that piqued my interest. I fiddled with it to work with what I had available, and the result was seriously good!


Savory Chorizo and Onion Bread Pudding
serves 4-6

• 6 thick slices French bread (not a skinny baguette - I used gros pain)
  
• 5 eggs
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces dried Spanish chorizo, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 cup grated Cantal entre-deux* (white Cheddar would also be good)
  

Set oven to 200 degrees F. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and dry them in the oven, being careful not to brown them. If your bread is day old, this will take less time than if not. Keep checking it.

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add the cut up chorizo. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 more minute. Set aside to cool.

Raise oven heat to 400 degrees F.

In a big bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes, sautéed chorizo and vegetables, and tomato, and leave it to sit for about 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times so the bread absorbs all of the liquid.

Pour into a lightly buttered, 8x8-inch square baking dish.
Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for another 20 minutes or until the pudding is puffed up and browned.

Serve immediately.

*I used Cantal Entre-Deux because I had a big chunk to use up. Parmesan or white Cheddar would also work.

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Super Satisfying Comfort Food

Looking for a meal that is super satisfying comfort food? A dish that will fill you up with its robust, rich flavor and leave you happy, warm and content? (and probably way too full because it was just so damn good that you just couldn't stop eating it?)

If your answer is yes, then have I got a dish for you!

I found this on Stonesoup and was immediately attracted to its mix of tomatoes, chorizo, white beans and eggs. I had all the ingredients in the house and it was wonderfully easy and satisfying!


My photo definitely doesn't do the dish justice. Stonesoup's is much more professional looking.

baked eggs with chorizo & cannellini beans

serves 4

adapted from Stonesoup's recipe

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 chorizo, sliced

1 large red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced

4 sprigs oregano, leaves picked

1 can whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

2, 14 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. Heat oil in a large flame proof casserole dish or frying pan. Cook chorizo over a medium heat until well browned. Remove chorizo from the pan and reserve. Add onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until softened and not browned. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes before adding oregano, tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar. Season and bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened so it is no longer watery.

Stir through beans and chorizo and smooth over top. Bring back to a simmer and remove from the heat. Using a spoon, make 4 egg sized indentations in the bean mixture and crack and egg into each hole. Bake for 15 minutes or until egg whites are just cooked but the yolks are still lovely and runny. Remembering that this dish holds it’s heat so the egg will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

Divide between 4 warmed plates and serve immediately
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