February 24, 2007
Savory Crock-pot Bread Pudding
As I understand it, bread pudding was traditionally a way of using up stale bread. When there were twelve people in my household there was never any stale bread, so we had to emulate it via toasting. Then it was discovered that three of those twelve were gluten-intolerant and the dish fell by the wayside. Now, with pretty much just two of us here, this much of something this filling is overkill. Oh well.
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion -- chopped
6 slices of bread lightly toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar
2 large eggs
1 bottle of beer
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dry mustard
salt/pepper
Melt the butter and saute the onions about 10 minutes over medium heat,
until the onions are golden.
Beat together the eggs, beer, spices, salt, and pepper.
Layer the bottom of the crockpotcrock with half of the bread cubes. Top the bread layer with half the sauteed onions, then with about one third of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers, but don't add the final cheese layer yet.
Pour the egg and beer mixture over the solid components, making sure that all of the bread pieces are soaked. Top with the remainder of the shredded cheese.
Cook on high for 4 hours. I know 8 hours in the very slow cooker on low is more convenient but the result is mushy.