Bread Pudding: Sweet and Savory

Two recent dilemmas created opportunities for cooking exploration:

1) stale bread sitting on the counter

2) lack of variety in vegetarian cooking repertoire

Of course it's resourceful to use leftover bread instead of just tossing it. But what can we do with it?

I'm not vegetarian, so I often puzzle over how to cook a vegetarian meal that feels substantial, as opposed to a collection of side dishes.  This week's answer?  Stale homemade whole wheat bread combined with leftover Brussels sprouts became a wonderful savory bread pudding.

Also, since many of my meals lack luster, a great dessert is a fantastic way to end an otherwise mediocre meal.  So, this time, stale challah bread and a day-old cinnamon roll from Ithaca Bakery lead to a wonderfully sweet bread pudding dessert, after a meal so unmemorable I can't even recall it!

I'd love to post the recipes here, but there is something y'all should know about me.  I am practically pathologically unable to follow a recipe, which often leads to disaster, sometimes ends in awed wonder, and always means that I cannot easily pass recipes along.

But here's the gist:

Savory Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding

Cut stale bread into 1-inch cubes, about 4 cups total, and mix with 3T of melted butter.

Cut up about a cup or so of leftover Brussels Sprouts (these had been boiled for about 7 minutes, then tossed with sauteed leeks, garlic, parsley, tarragon, and veggie broth)

Beat two large eggs with a fork, then add 2 cups whole milk, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, and 1T of vinegar.

Put everything in a baking dish, add some crumbled cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Let sit for ten minutes, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Serve with a salad or side of steamed spinach.

Sweet Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Cut stale challah bread and one cinnamon roll into 1-inch cubes, about 4 cups total, and mix with 3T melted butter.

Beat two large eggs with a fork, then add 1 Cup sugar and a combination of whole milk and cream equalling a little more than 2 cups.

Put everything in a baking dish, let sit for ten minutes, and bake a 350 for about 30 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.