Ham-and-Cheese Brioche Pudding

Name: Ham-and-Cheese Brioche Pudding
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan; 1 (12-ounce) brioche loaf or smaller brioches, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups); 6 eggs; 4 cups half-and-half or whole milk; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; Pinch of nutmeg; Pinch of cayenne; 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions; 6 ounces thinly sliced ham, cut crosswise into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups); 8 ounces grated Gouda or Gruyère cheese (about 4 cups)

By David Tanis

Total Time: 1½ hours
Rating: 4(1,069)
Comments: Read comments

Bread pudding, an old-fashioned frugal dessert, usually contains day-old bread, milk, eggs and a bit of fruit, fresh or dried, baked in a sweet custard. This savory version, made with ham and cheese, employs tender buttery brioche. It is easier to make than a quiche, but has a similar delicacy, perfect for lunch or a light supper.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

1tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
1(12-ounce) brioche loaf or smaller brioches, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
6eggs
4cups half-and-half or whole milk
2teaspoons salt
½teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
½cup thinly sliced scallions
6ounces thinly sliced ham, cut crosswise into matchsticks (about 1½ cups)
8ounces grated Gouda or Gruyère cheese (about 4 cups)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 11-by-11-inch baking dish. Fill dish with brioche cubes and set aside.
Step 2
In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and scallions. Pour mixture over cubes in baking dish.
Step 3
Sprinkle ham and cheese on top of mixture, and press down to make sure everything is submerged. Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 4
Transfer baking dish and baking sheet to the middle shelf of the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the dish emerges dry. Let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Tip

If desired, let pudding cool completely and cut into squares or wedges. Then reheat for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

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Ratings

4 out of 5

1,069 user ratings

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Comments

Lori7 years ago

Adjusting strata to any dish size: 1 part milk + 1 part eggs + 1 part cheese + 1 part add-ins (optional) + 2 parts bread

Kevin Osinski7 years ago

11 x 11 = 121 square inches; a 9 x 13 pan is 117 sq in. Seems like a reasonable substitute.

Dean7 years ago

It would be nice if recipes called for standard size baking dishes - 8x8, 9x9, 9x11, 9x13, and so on. Who had 11x11? I've never heard of it.

Chere1 week ago

Made this last night and baked today. I did use salt, but used Diamond Crystal kosher, and it was not too salty. Next time I would cover this for part of the time. The cheese was quite crusty and brown. I did put the cold pan from the frig into the cold oven, baked on convection at 350 and was perfect in about 1 hour.

MWR2 weeks ago

I always try to read through the comments here before making a recipe. There was a lot of useful info on this. I prepped the dish the night before which was super helpful. I did not add salt. The dish does not need it. I doubled the green onions and upped the ham a bit (which I had sliced super thin). I let it sit on the counter for just over an hour before baking, covered it with foil for the first 30 minutes and baked it for just over an hour total. It was delicious and a big hit for Easter.

Lisa S.2 weeks ago

Made it the night before. Not only was it delicious, it was beautiful!

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