Greetings CSA members! I know, a day late and a dollar short. I could write something about all the demands of farm life, about the trials and tribulations of Valentine’s Day week in a busy farm-to-table restaurant, but nobody wants to hear that. So without further ado, here’s the recipe.
Bacon Bread Pudding
This started out as a restaurant staff meal. A real crowd pleaser that can be made the night before and baked in the morning. It utilizes not our farm fresh produce, but all the add-ons and extras: cheese, meat, bread and eggs. Hope you like it.
Ingredients :
6 cups stale bread cut into one inch cubes
1 cup bacon, chopped
1 cup medium diced red onion
1 cup diced or shredded hard cheese (Cherry Grove’s cheese curds?)
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
butter
Method :
– In a heavy sautee pan, crisp the bacon. When crispy, add the diced onions and sweat til translucent. Drain and set aside.
– In a large mixing bowl, beat your eggs together with the milk, then add the bacon and onion mix, diced bread and cheese. Fold together, and season. Careful with the salt, as the bacon could have plenty. Let sit for 30 minutes or overnight refrigerated.
– Now, with the butter, grease a metal or glass loaf pan, sides and bottoms. Bake covered by foil for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, then remove the foil, turn the heat up to 400 degrees, and bake for another 30 minutes, checking every ten. The top should be brown and crispy, and the center should cooked through–no runny egg. To check just move a piece of bread, poke around and the put it back (or eat it).
-When ready, remove from heat, allow to cool, and enjoy! (tip: while still hot, run a knife along the edges to free from pan.)
