Butternut Squash and Spinach Bread Pudding
By Stephanie PixleyPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
2¾ hours, plus 40 minutes soaking and cooling
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
To prevent the custard from curdling in the oven, it includes just egg yolks rather than the traditional whole eggs; the fat in the yolks helps to stabilize and emulsify the custard. We prefer the flavor and texture of a high-quality French baguette here, but a conventional supermarket baguette also works.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss squash with oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl, then spread out onto aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Arrange bread in single layer on second rimmed baking sheet.
- Place squash on lower-middle rack and bread on upper-middle rack. Bake bread until crisp and browned, about 12 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Remove bread from oven and stir squash; continue to cook squash until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk cream, milk, yolks, ½ cup Parmesan, thyme, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ¾ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Stir in toasted bread and let sit, stirring occasionally, until bread softens and is beginning to absorb custard, 30 to 45 minutes. When bread is softened, stir in roasted squash and spinach.
- Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half of bread mixture into prepared dish and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan. Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until custard is just set, about 1 hour, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Time
2¾ hours, plus 40 minutes soaking and coolingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
A savory bread pudding is similar to a strata, but often bread puddings have a higher proportion of milk or cream to eggs in their “batter,” making their interiors a little softer and more custardy. This hearty rendition fits that definition; it features roasted butternut squash, earthy spinach, and Parmesan cheese bound with a garlicky custard made using both heavy cream and milk. The sturdy crumb and neutral flavor of a French baguette is the ideal match; while many recipes for bread pudding call for cubing the bread, you'll get a more pleasing texture by tearing the baguette into rustic, ragged pieces. Toasting the torn pieces to a deep golden brown enriches their flavor and gives the bread a crispness that prevents the finished dish from turning soggy.
Before You Begin
To prevent the custard from curdling in the oven, it includes just egg yolks rather than the traditional whole eggs; the fat in the yolks helps to stabilize and emulsify the custard. We prefer the flavor and texture of a high-quality French baguette here, but a conventional supermarket baguette also works.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss squash with oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl, then spread out onto aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Arrange bread in single layer on second rimmed baking sheet.
- Place squash on lower-middle rack and bread on upper-middle rack. Bake bread until crisp and browned, about 12 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Remove bread from oven and stir squash; continue to cook squash until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk cream, milk, yolks, ½ cup Parmesan, thyme, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ¾ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Stir in toasted bread and let sit, stirring occasionally, until bread softens and is beginning to absorb custard, 30 to 45 minutes. When bread is softened, stir in roasted squash and spinach.
- Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half of bread mixture into prepared dish and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan. Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until custard is just set, about 1 hour, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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