Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding

The textures of this dish are complex. It’s Soft, Chewy, a little crispy in places. Full of rich flavors with Bacon, and Mushrooms, Cheese, Bell Peppers, Herbs and Onions. It’s a wonderfully appealing and flavorful. A serving of this will stay with you for most of the day.

Prep. Time:  40 min       Cook Time: 1 hour       Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
• 1 C bacon, diced small(about 10-12 slices)
• 8 large eggs, beat lightly
• 3 C Half and Half
• 2 C grated cheddar cheese(I use Tillamook sharp white cheddar)
• 1/2 C green onion, chopped
• 1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbls butter
• 1 Lb French bread or Challah bread, cubed

Note: if you remove the crust from the bread you will need more than 1 loaf to make 1 Lb of cubed bread.  Place the cubed bread on a sheet pan and bake at 225F for 1 hour to dry out the bread. This can be done several days ahead and placed in a gallon freezer bag after cooling.

1. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and break into smaller pieces. Remove to a small bowl. I actually did this step the day before to save time and placed in a container or plastic freezer bag in the refrigerator.

2. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until crisp. Remove and drain 

3. Add butter and mushrooms to the skillet over medium heat and cook until mushrooms are browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add the bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until softened. Remove mushrooms and bell pepper to a small bowl 

4. Place the cubed bread in a large bowl. Add half and half, eggs, mushrooms & bell pepper, green onion, sausage, cheese and 1/2 of crisp bacon. Mix until everything is coated wel  Butter a 9 X 13 casserole dish liberally. Pour mixture into the casserole dish.  Cover the dish with foil and let the casserole sit at room temperature for 1 hour if you are going to cook same day or place in the refrigerator overnight and cook the next morning.

5. If casserole was in the refrigerator overnight remove next morning and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 300F. Place the foil6 covered casserole in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from casserole and Raise oven temperature to 350F.  Cook for another 30 minutes or until bread is set and doesn’t look wet or runny. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving

6. Garnish with remaining crisp bacon and chives. May also top with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream.  Serve with salsa on the side