Savory Breakfast Bread and Sausage Pudding

Summary
Prep time	20 min + 1 hr+ soaking
Cook time	45-50 min
Source	Fresh Every Day (pg 24)
Yield / serves	8-10 servings
Rating	Delicious

Ingredients

• 2 T unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 lb breakfast or Italian sausage, removed from the casing
• 4 c spinach leaves, washed and drained (about 6 oz or 1 large bunch)
• 2 1/2 c milk
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 6 c day-old country Italian or French bread cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese (about 6 oz)
• 1 c grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz)
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation

Butter a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Melt but don't brown the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is soft and translucent. Add the sausage and cook about 4 minutes, breaking the sausage into pieces as it cooks, until it is cooked through. Stir in the spinach and saute just until it is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Drain off the liquid.

Whisk the milk, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the bread and stir to coat. Stir in the sausage, cheeses, thyme, and rosemary and pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Twenty minutes before you're ready to bake the bread pudding, remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Bake the bread pudding for 45-50 minutes, until it is puffy and light golden brown. Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.