Dr Mobeus
Savoury Bread Pudding
Savoury bread pudding is what happens when you take the concept of bread and butter pudding and decide dinner is more important than dessert. Stale bread soaked in a cheesy, herby egg custard and baked until golden on top – it is essentially a crustless quiche that costs pennies. The beauty of this recipe is that it uses up whatever needs using up: old bread, leftover veg, the end of a cheese block. At 43p a portion it is one of the cheapest proper meals you can make. It is the kind of recipe that proves budget cooking does not mean boring – it means being clever with what you have already got.
Savoury Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease a baking dish with butter.
- Fry the onion and red pepper in a little oil for 5 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Tear the bread into chunks and spread them in the baking dish. Scatter over the cooked onion and pepper and the frozen peas.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, dried herbs and half the cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Press down gently so the bread soaks up the liquid. Leave for 5 minutes.
- Scatter the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, puffed up and set in the middle.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. It will deflate slightly - that is normal.
Tips and Variations
Stale bread works best because it soaks up the egg mixture without going mushy. If your bread is fresh, toast it lightly first. Chuck in any veg that needs using up – spinach, mushrooms, sweetcorn all work. Let it rest for 5 minutes after baking or it will fall apart when you cut it. Great cold the next day for lunch.
