Savory Asparagus Bread Pudding

I know it sounds strange, but this dish is really good.

I've made it twice now, and both times it was received really well.

I initially saw the recipe on this blog, and that led me to this website, which is simply amazing. Therefore, I must share it with you.

Ingredients:

One 1-lb loaf of sourdough or other crusty bread (I usually use a french bread)

3 cups milk

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1 pound asparagus

3 to 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped (I use whatever mushrooms I want)

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (I substitute sliced black olives for this ingredient)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (If you're not a cheese fan, I would use a regular swiss cheese. Gruyere is a pretty strong cheese, but makes the end result very, very delicious and flavorful)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan or casserole with olive oil. Using a serrated knife, cut the bread into 3/4-inch slices, then stack 4 or 5 slices of bread. Cut them in 3/4-inch cubes. Repeat with the remaining bread and put all of the cubes in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and dill until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the bread along with the mushrooms and shallots (or olives). Fold everything together well to combine the ingredients. Spoon them into the prepared pan and pat down the top to compact the ingredients. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp and there is no liquid in the center. Let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.

There! Now, enjoy.

Next time, I will post something original. smile.