Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage, Spinach & Three Cheeses Recipe

With so many of us having to tighten the proverbial budget belt, it's satisfying to look in the pantry and find the ingredients for dinner without having to make an extra trip to the store. Even when I do try to save money by scouring the Sunday newspaper for great deals, I rarely find coupons for items such as prosciutto and smoked salmon. However, I do have enough Campbell's soup to keep my family fed through a natural disaster. Keeping me on the budgeting straight and narrow can be a challenge. I have a bad habit of going into the store for just a few items and walking out with five or six bagfuls. I manage to justify the purchases by telling myself that the produce looks particularly good that day or that I can surely find a use for ten pounds of potatoes before they start sprouting. My newest trick to reign in my impulsive food buying is to shun the use of a basket or shopping cart. There are only so many packages of deli meat or bags of apples that I can carry in my two hands, and the grocery store management doesn't look too kindly on shoving not-yet-purchased items in your pockets. I learned that the hard way when I was six years old and decided to buy out the licorice section of the neighborhood corner store with my allowance. Those were the days when they would sell licorice by the piece. That's right, not in packages. The horror!

Luckily, I had plenty of Italian sausage and spinach left over from the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin that I made a couple of nights ago (trip to grocery store averted). Toss those together with some eggs, milk, bread, and cheese and you have an easy dinner or a delicious make-ahead brunch dish. The egg and bread set into a soft, flavorful bread pudding that provides a great neutral background for any meat and vegetable mixture that strikes your fancy. Be certain to use herbs to bring out the flavors of your ingredients.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove 1 pound of mild Italian sausage from the casings and add to the skillet. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towel and set aside.

Generously coat a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter. Cut day-old bread into 1-inch cubes to total 5 cups of bread cubes, and place the bread into the baking pan.

Sprinkle the bread with 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves.

In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups spinach and 3 tablespoons water.

Cover the pan and set over medium heat until the spinach is just wilted. Drain the spinach and place it in a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, whisk together 10 eggs and 3 ½ cups whole milk.

Whisk in 1 teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle the spinach and sausage over the bread mixture, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top.

Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least an hour. The casserole can be covered overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Uncover the baking pan and place it in the oven. Bake until the egg is set and the top is starting to brown, about 1 hour. If the top is browning too much while baking, tent the pan with foil.

Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

Other savory bread puddings:

In Praise of Leftovers' Savory Bread Pudding with Corn & Tomatoes

A Good Appetite's Leek & Blue Cheese Bread Pudding

Iron Stef's Savory Bread Pudding with Raisins & Bacon

Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage, Spinach & Three Cheeses

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 lb. mild Italian sausage

Butter for dish

5 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

2 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

3 cups fresh spinach

3 tablespoon water

10 eggs

3 ½ cups whole milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove Italian sausage from the casings and add to the skillet. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towel and set aside.

Generously coat a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter. Place the bread cubes into the baking pan. Sprinkle the bread with the Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan cheeses, and chopped fresh sage leaves.

In a medium saucepan, combine spinach and water. Cover the pan and set over medium heat until the spinach is just wilted. Drain the spinach and place it in a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Whisk in dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the spinach and sausage over the bread mixture, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least an hour. The casserole can be covered overnight.

Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Printable recipe