Savory Bread Pudding (Strata)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or unsalted butter)
• 2 large leeks (cleaned and white part sliced thinly)
• 2 large red bell peppers (de-seeded and chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (minced (or another fresh herb of choice such fresh thyme))
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk (or half-and-half for a creamier texture that is still not too fatty)
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz green olives (pitted and either chopped or whole (or you can use pitted Kalamata olives))
• 9 oz gruyere cheese (grated (or another melting cheese such as white cheddar or swiss cheese))
• 16 oz sourdough bread loaf

Instructions

1. 1

   COOK THE VEGGIES: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, add in the oil, and cook the leeks, bell peppers, and rosemary, stirring often, until the leeks are lightly golden and the peppers have softened (about 5 minutes).

2. 2

   Remove from heat and let it cool.

3. 3

   Spray a 9″x13″ (23 x 33 cm) ceramic baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

4. 4

   MAKE THE EGG MIXTURE: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

5. 5

   MIX THE BREAD, CHEESE, EGG CUSTARD, AND VEGGIES: Mix in the cooked veggie mixture, olives, 2/3 of the cheese, and the bread cubes.

6. 6

   LET IT REST: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   BAKE: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Take the bread pudding out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and top it with the remaining 1/3 of the gruyere cheese.

8. 8

   Bake for 45-60 minutes until the savory bread pudding puffs up and gets golden brown on top. Serve topped with a few fresh rosemary sprigs!