Savory Leek Bread Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir in the leeks and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Stir in the mushrooms, tarragon, sherry, 1 tablespoon salt and 11/2 teaspoons pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock and 1 cup of the Gruyere. Add the bread cubes and mushroom mixture, stirring well to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Stir well and pour into a 2 1/2-to-3-quart gratin dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches). Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 12-ounce ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spread the brioche on a second rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and squash and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until the sausage is browned and the squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the leeks, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until the leeks are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the chicken broth, cream, parsley, chives and eggs in a medium bowl. Add half the brioche to the ramekins. Divide the sausage mixture among the ramekins; top with 1 cup of the Gruyere and the remaining brioche. Pour the egg mixture over and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Gruyere.
• Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture. Bake on the baking sheet until the custard is set and the bread pudding is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.

Steps:

• Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, drain excess water from leeks, and add to pan. Season with salt, and sauté until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 30 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While leeks are cooking, spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry and pale gold, about 20 minutes, turning pan about halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl, leaving the oven on.
• Add leeks, chives and thyme to the bowl of bread; toss well. In another large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then whisk in milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread 1/2 of bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Spread remaining bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough milk mixture to cover bread, and gently press on bread so milk soaks in. Let rest 15 minutes.
• Add remaining milk mixture, letting some bread cubes protrude. Sprinkle with salt and remaining cheese. Bake until pudding is set and top is brown and bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Put the leek rounds in a large bowl of tepid water and swish so that any dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl. Set a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, lift the leeks from the water, drain, and add them to the pan. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. The leeks will release liquid. Stir in the butter to emulsify, and season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a parchment lid, and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. If at any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce. Remove and discard the parchment lid.
• Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until dry and pale gold. Transfer to a large bowl. Leave the oven on.
• Add the leeks to the bread and toss well, then add the chives and thyme.
• Lightly whisk the eggs in another large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread half the leeks and croutons in the pan and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Scatter the remaining leeks and croutons over and top with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in the milk. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
• Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of bread to protrude. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the top is brown and bubbling.

Steps:

• Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• If using garlic, cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy, wide skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for another minute or two, until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the kale, toss together and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish, soufflé dish or gratin. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms and kale, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.
• Place in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9" glass or ceramic baking dish; set aside. Spread out brioche on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 25-30 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium. Cook squash, leeks, and thyme, stirring occasionally until squash is tender, 10-12 minutes. Mix in a pinch of cayenne; season with salt. Transfer to bowl with brioche.
• Whisk eggs, cream, milk, sugar, 2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of cayenne in a large bowl to combine.
• Add 1 cup cheese to bowl with brioche and toss to evenly distribute. Transfer to prepared baking dish and pour 5 cups egg mixture over; gently press bread into liquid to coat. Pour remaining egg mixture over and let sit 15 minutes.
• Scatter remaining 1/2 cup cheese over bread pudding and bake until puffed and custard is set in the center, 60-75 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place baguette cubes onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until dry, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and set aside. Keep oven on.
• Meanwhile, warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until softened but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk milk and eggs together in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray; sprinkle a thin layer of Gruyere cheese on the bottom.
• Top Gruyere with 1/2 of the toasted bread cubes. Spread leeks over bread cubes and sprinkle diced bacon on top. Top with more cheese, reserving about half. Ladle 1/2 of the milk mixture over bread, leeks, bacon, and cheese. Slightly press bread cubes down into the milk. Layer remaining bread across the top, and continue layering leeks and bacon. Ladle remaining milk on top. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the casserole. Slightly press bread cubes down into the milk.
• Let casserole sit for 15 minutes.
• Cover casserole very loosely with aluminum foil so cheese does not melt against it. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until cheese and bread cubes are well browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Steps:

• In a medium pan, melt butter and cook the leeks and onion till tender; add garlic.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add bread crumbs; toss well.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the cream, and add this mixture to the bread mixture. Stir to moisten; add seasonings.
• Place the bread pudding in a medium sized casserole dish. Place dish in a large pan half-filled with water. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 45 minutes.
• Indianapolis Star co-worker Jewell Gatewood, who provided this recipe.