I love dressing/stuffing but sometimes I like to switch up my side dishes for the holidays. This savory bread pudding is so tasty! You can roast either butternut squash or pumpkin. In class we served this dish with chicken saltimbocca. A match made in heaven if you ask me.
You can bake in a casserole dish or in individual ramekins for your guests.
Ingredients
3 pounds butternut squash and or pumpkin—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small onions
3 stalks celery
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus additional for the top)
1 loaf ciabatta bread cut into 1 inch dice
1/2 loaf of soft french bread cut into 1 inch dice
3 cups of baby spinach or kale
6 sage leaves minced
4 ounces thinly-sliced pancetta
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking ceramic baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 20 minutes, until tender, tossing once halfway through. Let cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter,. add the onions, celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half, add the cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Fold in the squash, onion, celery, sage & spinach. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish top with grated parmesan & pancetta slices and bake for about 1 hour, until lightly golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can switch up the cheese used in this savory bread pudding, try goat cheese, blue cheese, fontina, burrata just pick your favorite. Trying bumping it up by adding caramelized mushrooms, or browned spicy Italian sausage…
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian