This Roasted Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is not only hearty and delicious …it’s prepared ahead of time. Let it bake up to a golden brown while you enjoy that glass of wine. Or hang out with your family. Or take care of the rest of the meal.
I don’t know about you guys but I’m always happy to have a solution to that stressful last-minute rush to get a hot meal on the table. This savory bread pudding is the answer.
The recipe is one that I’ve adapted from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Bread Toast Crumbs by Alexandra Stafford.
A handy list of ingredients…
- Butternut squash
- Onion
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Day-old hearty bread
- Large eggs
- Whole milk (or 2%)
- Fresh thyme, rosemary & sage leaves
- Gruyère cheese
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Crumbled blue cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Freshly ground nutmeg
Full disclosure…
This one involves a fair amount of prep work. It’s totally worth the effort and it can be done early in the day.
- Get the butternut squash and onions ready for the oven.
- Try to cut the squash cubes similar in size …that way they’ll roast uniformly.
While that’s roasting…
- Cube up your bread and scatter it on another rimmed sheet pan.
- Add that to the oven when the squash has about 20 minutes remaining on the timer.
- You can use any type of bread here, but the heartier the bread the better.
- What you see here is some day-old homemade peasant bread …the perfect heartiness.
To keep things streamlined…
- Work on the herbs and cheese while the squash and bread are roasting.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half teaspoon of salt and chopped herbs.
- Top it off with some freshly ground pepper to suit your taste.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the cheeses.
Your roasted goodness should be out of the oven by now.
- Once cool enough to handle, transfer the squash, onions and bread cubes to the bowl with the egg & milk mixture along with one-third of the cheese mixture.
- The remaining cheese is saved to be added to the top of your dish before baking.
- Once combined well, allow the mixture to rest for about 20 minutes so that the bread has a chance to absorb the liquids.
- Transfer the mixture from the large bowl to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture evenly over the entire surface.
- If you are using the freshly ground nutmeg, now is the time to sprinkle some on top.
Your Roasted Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is now ready to hang out in the oven.
After a brief 45 minutes, this is your reward…
Take a look at that amazing dish.
Golden crusty edges with custardy goodness in the center. With the full flavors of the roasted butternut squash and fresh herbs throughout.
And let’s not forget about the cheesy deliciousness within as well as covering every square inch.
Be sure to let the pudding rest for about twenty minutes before cutting into it.
Roasted Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is the perfect accompaniment to roasted or grilled meats & chicken.
roasted butternut squash bread pudding
Adapted from Bread Toast Crumbs by Alexandra Stafford
Hearty and flavorful side to your favorite roasted meat or chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 cups 3/4-inch-cubed butternut squash (one medium / about 23 ounces)
- 3 cups diced onion (two medium / about 12 ounces)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- freshly ground black pepper
- 10 cups 3/4-inch-cubed day-old hearty bread (about 14 ounces)
- 8 large eggs
- 4 cups milk (2% or whole)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (about 5.5 ounces)
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 4 ounces)
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- softened unsalted butter (for greasing baking dish)
- freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
-
On a rimmed sheet pan, toss the squash and onions with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 35 minutes, or until the squash is tender but not falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven.
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Meanwhile, arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a separate rimmed sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until slightly dry. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper along with the chopped herbs. In a separate medium-size bowl, combine the three cheeses.
-
Once cool enough to handle, transfer the squash, onions and bread cubes to the bowl with the egg & milk mixture along with one-third of the cheese mixture. (The remaining cheese is saved to be added to the top of your dish before baking.) Once combined well, allow the mixture to rest for about 20 minutes so that the bread has a chance to absorb the liquids.
-
Transfer the mixture from the large bowl to the prepared baking dish. The pan will feel very full. Distribute the remaining cheese evenly on top. If using, grate a bit of nutmeg over the cheese.
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Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 minutes, or until the top of the pudding is golden and the surface feels firm to the touch. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the bread pudding rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
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Love roasted squash?
