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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
Jul 17  # 16 of 24
Ok brave souls - this one is still different -

Chile Cheese Bread Pudding

5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) loosely packed coarsely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) loosely packed coarsely shredded Monterey jack cheese
2 tablespoons canned diced green chiles
6 1/2 cups trimmed and cubed (1-inch) day-old French or Italian bread

Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a 12-cup (2 1/4-inch, scant 1/2 cup capacity) muffin tin.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and cream to blend thoroughly. Mix in the chili powder, salt, cumin and oregano, then mix in the cheeses and chiles. Add the bread; mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin cups.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife blade inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Slide a knife blade around puddings to loosen them; lift out of molds with a small spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 12 servings.

You also may make the bread puddings in ramekins, individual custard cups, or mini-muffin pans. Adjust baking times as follows: Place filled ramekins or custard cups on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes; or bake pudding in mini-muffin pans for about 15 minutes.
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 Posted By: Cook Chatty Cathy 
Jul 17  # 17 of 24
Can I use dry bread cubes I made from some of my old homemade bread? I dried them in the oven to use at a later time for dressing, crutons, and such? Or should the bread still be moist?
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 Posted By: chubbyalaskagriz 
Jul 18  # 18 of 24
Bread Pudding is my ALL-TIME FAV DESSERT! Don't believe that- I say that about everything from pecan pie to banana cake! BUT, I do LOVE me some good bread pudding. The only thing better than still-warm bread pudding with a silky whiskey sauce, rum sauce or vanilla sauce, is COLD bread pudding right out of the fridge. LOVE IT! I remember in grade schhol our hair-netted lunch ladies made big pans of bread pudding with apples baked into it- and they smeared vanilla pudding on top and cut into squares. This too was incredible!
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 Posted By: KYHeirloomer 
Jul 18  # 19 of 24
Cathy, those bread cubes should work just fine. Just make sure you let them sit in the pudding mix long enough to absorb it.

I gurantee you will change your mind about bread pudding, no matter which of the recipes you use.
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 Posted By: chubbyalaskagriz 
Jul 18  # 20 of 24
I've made fantastic Bread Puddings using super-stale (we're talking HARD!) French Bread and to my taste it provided consistently the best taste and texture.

But, once you become pretty well-versed in getting your custard/bread ratio and baking time/method just right, don't stop there... at remote-site work-camps (where, as discussed before nothing is wasted!) everything went into our Bread Puddings from aged hotdog/burger buns and dinner rolls, to stale muffins, donuts, bagels, cinnamon rolls, kringle, danish, tea-rings, etc.