Description
This Ham and Cheese Bread Pudding is a savory comfort dish featuring cubes of sourdough bread soaked in a rich custard with sautéed shallots, diced ham, and sharp cheddar cheese. Baked to golden perfection and topped with fresh chives, it's perfect for brunch or a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread and Base
- 12 oz sourdough bread, day old
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, minced
Custard Mixture
- 10 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Fillings and Toppings
- 4 oz thick-sliced cooked ham, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Prepare Bread: Cut sourdough bread into cubes. If the bread is fresh, dry it in the oven at 225˚F for 30 minutes to ensure it is slightly stale and will absorb the custard better.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350˚F in preparation for baking the bread pudding.
- Sauté Shallots: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced shallots and cook for 4 minutes until softened but not browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Mix Custard: In a very large bowl, beat together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, and grated nutmeg until fully combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir the cooled shallots, diced ham, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese into the custard mixture. Also add fresh thyme leaves at this point.
- Assemble in Baking Dish: Pour the custard and bread cube mixture into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly on top.
- Rest Before Baking: Allow the assembled pudding to sit for 5 minutes so the bread soaks up the custard fully.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 60-65 minutes in the preheated oven. Monitor the top; if it browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the bread pudding from the oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh chives, slice into squares, and serve warm.
Notes
- Using day-old or slightly dried bread helps the pudding absorb the custard better and prevents sogginess.
- If you don't have whole milk, you can substitute with 2% milk, but whole milk provides the best richness.
- For a milder cheese, substitute cheddar with Gruyère or mozzarella.
- Covering the pudding partway through baking prevents excessive browning but still allows a crispy top.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated in the oven to preserve texture.
- Adding fresh thyme provides a subtle herbal note; feel free to omit or substitute with rosemary if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 265 mg
