Savoury Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Looking to switch up your fall baking routine? Bread Pudding is already so delicious, but we gave it a seasonal twist by including pumpkin. Even better, you can save time by purchasing pre-peeled and cubed pumpkin in the frozen section of your local grocery store.
- 1 medium pie pumpkin (about 1.5 kg) or 5 cups (700 g) peeled, cubed pumpkin (see Chef’s Tips) 1 medium pie pumpkin (about 1.5 kg) or 5 cups (700 g) peeled, cubed pumpkin (see Chef’s Tips)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt, divided 1 tsp (6 g) salt, divided
- 1 tsp (3 g) cinnamon 1 tsp (3 g) cinnamon
- ½ tsp (2 g) ground cardamom ½ tsp (2 g) ground cardamom
- ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
- ¼ tsp (1 g) ground cloves ¼ tsp (1 g) ground cloves
- ¼ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg ¼ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
- ⅓ cup (72 g) Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar, packed ⅓ cup (72 g) Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar, packed
- 1 cup (135 g) diced celery (about 2 large stalks) 1 cup (135 g) diced celery (about 2 large stalks)
- 1 cup (125 g) diced onion (about 1 medium onion) 1 cup (125 g) diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 large clove (5 g) garlic, minced 1 large clove (5 g) garlic, minced
- 3 cups (198 g) white button mushrooms, sliced 3 cups (198 g) white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh sage 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh rosemary 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 loaf (450 g) crusty white bread, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes 1 loaf (450 g) crusty white bread, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml) milk 2 ½ cups (600 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
- 6 large eggs 6 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (78 g) grated parmesan cheese, divided 1 ¼ cups (78 g) grated parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Wash pumpkin, pierce all over with a fork and place in the oven on the prepared baking sheet; 30 minutes.
Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy flesh. Carefully peel each half and cut into ¾ inch (2 centimetre) cubes.
Place pumpkin in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) olive oil, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves and nutmeg.
Spread pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Grease a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 centimetre) baking dish.
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of olive oil to the skillet and sautée the mushrooms with the sage and rosemary until golden and they release their juices.
Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the cooled pumpkin, bread cubes and one cup (62 grams) of parmesan cheese. Toss well to combine and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
In a separate large bowl whisk together the milk, cream and eggs. Pour over the bread pumpkin mixture. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Lower oven to 350°F (180°C).
Bake bread pudding covered; 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup (16 g) of parmesan and bake uncovered; 15 minutes.
Remove and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's Tip
*To save time, peeled and cubed pumpkin can be purchased in the frozen section of many grocery stores. If pumpkin is not available, this recipe is just as delicious with butternut squash.
*Savoury Pumpkin Bread Pudding can be prepared a day in advance. Pour the custard over the bread mixture, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before exchanging the plastic wrap for aluminum foil and baking.
