Ingredients
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4 -5 cups bread (maybe half a large loaf, cubed or torn into 1-inch pieces, leaving crusts on)
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1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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8 ounces ham, finely chopped
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4 eggs
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1 1/2 cups milk
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1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, good quality
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1 teaspoon dried rosemary, minced into small pieces
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/8 white pepper
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1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Spray an 8" pan with cooking spray (or butter bottom and sides of dish) and place bread cubes in pan.
- Heat oil in skillet, add onions and 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp black pepper. Saute onions over medium-high heat until translucent, continue cooking until onions are beginning to brown and caramelize.
- Add garlic and ham, cooking until ham is heated through and any moisture from ham has evaporated off.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, rosemary, salt and black & white ground peppers.
- After combining thoroughly, mix in cheese.
- Spread onion and ham mixture uniformly over bread cubes.
- Evenly pour mixture over bread and ham, taking care to moisten bread in corners and at edges too.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, but no longer than 24 hours hours or bread will disintegrate.
- Remove pan from refrigerator 1/2 hour before preheating oven.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake pudding uncovered for about 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, but moist. It will be puffed up and edges and corners will be golden brown.
- Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
- Leftovers reheat wonderfully.