Savoury bread & butter pudding

`’Oh and I think your blog is soooo great, all your food looks soooo delicious and you’re just soooo funny…”
Oh stop it I blush. I’m really not that funny. I smile goofily at my computer screen and wave my hand at it as if to say, ‘get outta here’.
I read on…
‘The majority of people food blogging aren’t very interesting, so it’s nice to stumble across someone who doesn’t make me skip straight to the recipe. I  especially like the blogs you do with your son…”
What did she say? Son? What son?… I haven’t got a son! The only person that features on my blog other than me is… NOOOOOOO!
SHE THINKS MY BOYFRIEND JAMIE IS MY SON?!
Am I that old and shrivelled that she’s mistaken me for my boyfriend’s mother? Well this is a new low. Perhaps I should sit down? NO! That’s what old people do. Maybe he just looks freakishly young? I’m only 32 for god sake! Perhaps I should ask for a giant vat of ‘Olay Regenerist’ for Christmas, just in case. I wonder if it’s still made with babies umbilical cords or was just a 90’s rumour? Not sure I fancy putting umbilical cord cream on my face but as I’m ageing at an alarming rate, needs must. Oh well, at least she thought I was funny.

Anyway, speaking of mum’s, this recipe is inspired by a dish my very own mother, Lizzie, used to make. Her recipe is long lost of course – she manages to lose all of her beloved recipes, so had a go at making it from memory. It’s essentially made up of my two favourite things in life, bread and cheese. So go grab your big pants, it’s time to get your carb on.

Savoury bread & butter pudding
Serves 4-6 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 50 mins / V
2 red onions, roughly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly sliced
400g white sourdough loaf (or any bread you happen to have. I like sourdough as it’s a little more robust and tends to keep its form).
75g medium vegetarian cheddar cheese, grated
75g cheese of your choice grated or crumbled (I used a combination of Emmental and cheddar but you can use any cheese you like)
Handful fresh thyme sprigs
5 eggs
500ml semi-skimmed milk

TIP: I often half the recipe and make a smaller version for 2 in a smaller dish. It’s a great way of using up any unwanted slices of stale bread you have lying around. Also, you don’t have to use sourdough, regular sliced bread works too – although bear in mind you may need more of it. If halving the recipe, use 3 eggs. 

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Butter a 2 litre oven dish and begin slicing the bread. Once sliced, pick up the slices as a loaf and put straight into the oven dish. Pull the slices apart to fill the dish creating a zig zag effect (see image below). If you’re using odd bits of bread, just arrange them as best as you can – doesn’t have to be perfect. Roughly slice the onions and the garlic clove.
3. Grate or crumbled all the cheeses, saving a handful of hard cheese for the topping (a hard grated cheese is better for sprinkling). Put to one side.
4. Evenly distribute the sliced onions and garlic through the layers of bread before packing with the cheeses. Insert a few thyme sprigs throughout and put to one side.
5. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk the eggs and milk together until combined before pouring slowly over the pudding, making sure you manage to soak all the bread. Season well with salt and pepper before topping with the remaining handful of grated cheese. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf, for 25-30 mins.
6. Remove from the oven, discard the charred thyme sprigs and serve with a simple green salad.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian