Cheesy Chorizo and Pepper Savory Bread Pudding
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.This cheesy casserole stuffed with savory chorizo and sauteed vegetables makes it easy to not skip breakfast! Whether you’re cooking for a group or want to meal-prep for fast and easy breakfasts throughout the week, this casserole is a great option. It tastes like a delicious chorizo and veggie omelet with toast! But, if you whip it up on a slow Sunday morning and heat up pieces throughout the week, it takes only a fraction of the time to make breakfast on your busy weekdays. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Recipe Notes
Heating up leftovers: You can microwave squares of casserole for single servings (I recommend laying a damp paper towel over it to keep in moisture and microwaving for 45 seconds), or if you want to make the whole casserole ahead of time for a holiday or busy morning with lots of mouths to feed, you can heat up the whole casserole in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes.
Substitutes: This breakfast casserole makes a great base recipe for any savory bread pudding you might like to make. Just substitute your favorite fully cooked vegetables and meats for a casserole made for your taste buds. Bacon or breakfast sausage would be an obvious but delicious substitution for the protein. Or, you could skip the protein and load it with veggies like broccoli, zucchini, or cooked greens for a healthier option.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
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Step 1:
Toast Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
On a large baking sheet, toss ½ pound of cubed sourdough bread with a drizzle of olive oil.
Toast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until crispy and lightly golden. While toasting, move on to next step.
Step 2:
Saute Vegetables and Chorizo
Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat.
Once warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, ½ diced yellow onion, and a ½ diced green bell pepper.
Saute until the onion is starting to become transparent, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 3 ounces of chopped, thinly sliced chorizo.
Saute until chorizo is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 more minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3:
Make Custard
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups of whole milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Step 4:
Soak Bread
Add the crisped sourdough bread to the egg custard and toss to coat all of the bread. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
Step 5:
Combine Ingredients
To the soaked bread, fold in the sauteed vegetables and chorizo and ½ cup freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese.
Step 6:
Bake
Grease a 9x9 inch square pan, preferably with butter but oil or baking spray will work as well.
Pour the finished bread pudding mixture into the greased pan.
Top with another ¾ cup of freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until cheese is bubbly on edges and there is no more wet custard visible. Let fully baked bread pudding sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting to lock in moisture and yield best texture.
Step 7:
Garnish and Serve
If desired, sprinkle finished bread pudding with freshly chopped parsley to garnish.
Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Cheesy Chorizo and Pepper Savory Bread Pudding
Servings: 9 Time: 90 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
½ lb. cubed sourdough bread
3 oz. thinly sliced chorizo, chopped
½ yellow onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 ¼ cups freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese, separated into 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Olive oil for drizzling
Butter for greasing pan (recommended, but oil or baking spray will work too)
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Toast Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. On a large baking sheet, toss cubed sourdough bread with a drizzle of olive oil. Toast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until crispy and lightly golden. While toasting, move on to next step.
Step 2: Saute Vegetables and Chorizo
Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. Once warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, diced yellow onion, and diced green bell pepper. Saute until the onion is starting to become transparent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and chopped, thinly sliced chorizo. Saute until chorizo is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3: Make Custard
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together eggs, whole milk, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Step 4: Soak Bread
Add the crisped sourdough bread to the egg custard and toss to coat all of the bread. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Combine Ingredients
To the soaked bread, fold in the sauteed vegetables and chorizo and ½ cup of the freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese.
Step 6: Bake
Grease a 9x9 inch square pan, preferably with butter but oil or spray will work as well. Pour the finished bread pudding mixture into the greased pan. Top with another ¾ cup of freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until cheese is bubbly on edges and there is no more wet custard visible. Let fully baked bread pudding sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting to lock in moisture and yield the best texture.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve
If desired, sprinkle finished bread pudding with freshly chopped parsley to garnish. Cut, serve, and enjoy!