Janet Mcdevitt's Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

This is from the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest section. Made this over the weekend to accompany Roast Chicken With Tomato-Olive Sauce (sans olive sauce) as a friend who dislikes custardy bread puddings but loves mushrooms. Turned out FAB! Think of it as a stuffing/dressing rather than bread pudding. Served with asparagus too. It was eaten & enjoyed by all - even the initially dubious (who kept muttering the bread pudding was supposed to be sweet). Sub in any type of mushroom you have - I used white field mushrooms. Next time I will rehydrate some dried morels I have (it's spring after all) & mix in. Perfect accompaniment to poultry.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  onion, sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 8  ounces  wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 2  cups  whole milk (or cream)
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 4  cups  bread, 1-inch cubed rustic type, packed
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic in butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.
2. Whisk together the milk or cream, eggs, salt, rosemary and pepper. Add the cubed bread to the milk mixture and let soak 20 minutes. Once the bread has absorbed most of the liquid, add the mushroom mixture and cheese and stir together.
3. Bake in a 10 ½-inch pie dish for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.