Savory Butternut Squash and Parmesan Bread Pudding

- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- Cooking spray
- ½teaspoon salt, divided
- 1teaspoon olive oil
- 1cup chopped onion
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 2cups 1 percent low-fat milk
- 1cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or other hard cheese, divided
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3large eggs
- 2large egg whites
- 8ounces day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 9 cups)
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Step 2
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
- Step 3
Combine remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, milk, ½ cup cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs and egg whites in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until pudding is set and lightly browned.
Private Notes
Comments
Used this as a loose guideline according to the ingredients I had and a preference for more more more onions whenever possible. Added sauteed kale and small chunks of fresh mozz, toasted the bread and omitted extra egg whites. I like this recipe as it's lighter than others that use whole milk/half and half, but the creaminess of the squash makes it still really substantial. Wonderful recipe!
I generally like the recipes on this site but after reading the recipe (minimal salt and fat), and the many negative reviews, decided to use this one as a springboard... turned out yummy! I copied another reviewer and added greens, used feta cheese, and added a bit of Dijon to the custard
This just didn't come together very well. Squash and bread never combined for a good taste or texture. Interesting idea, but I couldn't make it work.
It is worth seeking out a Butternut Squash Bread Pudding recipe from Food and Wine by Bruce Aidells. It is not hampered by a desire to "cook light" and is a great balance of squash, bread, custard, and parmesan cheese. It is probably from the early 2000s and is described "This savory bread pudding, loaded with sweet squash, is based on a recipe meat master Bruce Aidells’s wife, Nancy Oakes, created at her restaurant, Boulevard. It’s a great accompaniment to the glazed ham."
I made this tonight and it was a hit at fall themed dinner party with friends & family. I started with frozen butternut squash and roasted per package instructions. I added my home harvested dried rosemary and thyme to the mix, along with an increase in total salt to 3/4 tsp. I cut then dried the bread cubes in 200 F oven for 15 minutes. I increased the milk by 1/4-1/2 cup. I didn’t have time to wait for squash and onions too cool so I added them to egg mixture when warm. FABULOUS HIT!
Made this with a few modifications per reviews and still found it extremely bland. I will not make this again.
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