Just looking at this recipe makes my mouth water. The croissants are a fabulous addition to the standard bread pudding and who doesn’t like cheese and bacon . . . and a little scallion!
Ingredients:
- 8-1/2 cups croissant pieces
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups half and half
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions
- 1 tsp. ground thyme
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1-1/2 cup white American or cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 – 8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, onion powder, thyme, half and half. Season generously with salt and pepper; add the scallions and crumbled bacon and mix well.
Tear or cut croissants into 1-inch pieces; toss with your liquid mixture and press down with your spoon a little so they absorb most of the liquid. When you push the croissant pieces to the side of the bowl, there should still be a cup or two of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. This will turn to custard as it cooks.
Pour half the mixture into your prepared baking pan; spread cheese on top; pour remaining mixture on top of cheese. Using the back of your spoon to smooth it down in the pan. There should be visible liquid around your bread pieces. If your bread looks dry once you smooth it out, top the mixture with about 1/2 – 1 cup more milk, poured evenly over the top.
Refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. To check if it’s done, the top should look a little crispy and there should be no visible liquid in the bottom of the pan as all of it should have absorbed into the bread / custard mix while baking.
