My husband is from Somerset County Pennsylvania. He lived just a hop skip and a jump away from Grantsville, Maryland and this part of the world is referred to as “High Country” because it sits fairly high up in the mountains. Anyway, there is a little cheese factory there that serves food and this breakfast pudding is on the menu. I am so glad I was able to find the recipe on the internet because it is unusually excellent.
Seriously! Adding cream cheese to a breakfast casserole is like the best thing ever.
Ingredients
1 loaf Brioche bread, cubed (I used French Bread)
1 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)
1 /2 cup milk
9 eggs
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 c. + 1 c. Kraft shredded sharp white cheddar (or any shredded cheese of your liking)
4 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed
10 oz. Jimmy Dean browned breakfast sausage (optional)
5 strips of Black Label applewood smoked bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or 1 tsp. McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Instructions
Spray a 9×13″ extra deep baking dish and place 1/2 to 2/3 of the bread cubes in the dish.
Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, add cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Reserve 1 to 1.5 cups of mixture and pour remaining over the bread cubes.
Spread green chiles on top of bread. Sprinkle with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Lightly press the bread down to aid in absorption of the egg mixture. Top with cream cheese, sausage and bacon, if desired.
Top with remaining bread and pour reserved egg mixture over the bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.
The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake on middle rack for 45-55 minutes or until the center is firm. Cover the bread pudding with foil about halfway through the cooking time and remove for the last 5 minutes or so.
Serves 12.
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Quick Tip: Serve this yummy breakfast pudding with fresh fruit.
