Savory Bread Pudding

Transform the morsels of your holiday meal into a savory bread pudding using an assortment of rolls, croissants, Pullman loaf, dense white sandwich bread or any combination of leftover bread. Photo by Nick Hogan.

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

⅓ cup canola oil

5 tablespoons butter

3 cups sliced mushrooms

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons leftover white or red wine

2 carrots, diced

3 celery sticks, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

16 cups bread cubes

5-6 cups turkey or chicken stock or leftover gravy thinned with milk or water

Fresh herbs, chopped

Optional leftover add-ins

Chopped up green bean casserole

Cubed cooked turkey or ham

Chopped spinach, arugula or broccoli

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms in batches so the pan doesn’t get too crowded. Season with salt and pepper and sauté 5-7 minutes until soft and brown. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

Deglaze pan with wine. Add remaining oil and sauté carrots, celery and onion for 7 minutes or until soft.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables, mushrooms, bread cubes, herbs and any optional leftover add-ins. Stir in stock or gravy mixture until moist but not soggy. Season with salt and pepper and dot with remaining butter. Put in 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake another 20 minutes uncovered until top is crispy.