Golden Pudding

A savory bread pudding. It works especially well with dry, stale bread. Good for brunch, or for dinner with a nice salad. Adapted from a recipe in "Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers."

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  melted butter
• 12  ounces  crusty bread (French, Italian or sourdough)
• 1  cup  grated cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack)
• 1  cup  chopped scallion
• 6  eggs
• 2  cups milk
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pour the melted butter into a 2-qt baking dish, tilting to coat. Cut the bread into 1" cubes and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and scallions.
3. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and mustard, or combine in blender. Pour over bread. Press bread down into custard to be sure it's submerged. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden and puffy, another 5 minutes.