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!
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, 1/3 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 1/2 cups whole milk.
Whisk in 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 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:
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.
Kalyn says
I'm not a fan of sweet bread pudding, but this sounds really good!
redkathy says
I was just talking with my son about bread pudding. It has been so long since I've eaten a good bread pudding, I was thinking about preparing some. Yours looks really delicious. BTW – Superb photo!
Miranda says
Hi CC
This looks incredible. It reminds of a stuffing I made last yr. for Thanksgiving. It was fantastic
Tasty Eats At Home says
This looks really good. I love your anecdote about the licorice!
Gera @ SweetsFoods says
What a marvelous blend of ingredients there are intriguing and wonderful too!
Three cheeses implies 3 bravos 🙂
Cheers!
Gera
KrisKishere says
That looks lovely! I like the combo of cheeses you used!
Laura says
This look scrumptious. What a great idea, and I love the cheeses…:)
HereBeDragons says
Holy cow. I'd love anything with that much cheese.
I'm not a big fan of break pudding in general, but this looks delicious.
Southern Grace Gourmet says
This looks very good! I have never had a savory bread pudding before.
wasabi prime says
Yum — I do love a savory bread pudding. What a great recipe for a brunch with friends, and so hearty, you could have it for any meal!
lululu says
same here, i hv a huge weakness of buying big bags of potatoes or apples……just doesnt feel right to grab just a couple things for a visit to a gigantic grocery store…haha.
I love bread pudding with lots of cheese like yours!
CaptnRachel aka Tha Pizza Cutta says
I simply adore dishes that take leftovers and transform them into an elegant dish like this one. Its creative and inventive and thanks for inspiring me to try something like it one day!
Drick says
looks like a wonderful strata for breakfast too………..thanks for the recipe…
Jenn says
It's always fun to raid the pantry and see what dishes with become of the item found. Looks good!!! I'll take a slice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
ValleyWriter says
Great way to use up ingredients you have on hand. I've been trying to do that a lot lately myself. This looks like a good recipe to keep on hand!
MaryMoh says
I'm not a cheese fan but this dish just appeals to me. Looks delicious
pegasuslegend says
the cheese sounds so good thanks for the recipe
Claudia says
I love all these ingredients – I am a fan of sausage, cheese and bread and this looks so comforting as our autumn has disappeared into winter!
penny aka jeroxie says
I love all the cheese. And i love bread and pudding! I can have it every single day. The photos are so good!
Jessie says
awesome recipe! I love that it has everything it needs to be a one dish meal on the go and it is such a comforting meal that sticks to our ribs. I bookmarking this one for sure 🙂
Danielle says
I love savory bread puddings. They rank right up there on the comfort food scale with mac n' cheese.
The Duo Dishes says
Not using a basket/cart is a smart idea. There's only so much you can lug in your arms! We should both try that. This looks like a delicious dinner.
Table Talk says
I make something very similar to this to eat on Christmas morning. I make it the day before (Christmas Eve) and keep it covered in the fridge until we are ready to pop it in the oven the next morning.
Squeaky Gourmet says
This looks so easy and wonderful!
Skylar Wolfe says
Yum! Thanks for sharing
Family Cuisine Food And Recipe says
Cheese ! Thank you for sharing. Cheers !
Lea Ann says
This recipe is definately a keeper. Thanks for the post. Looks DEElicious.