Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

This melt-in-your-mouth side dish pairs well with roast chicken. Add a nice green salad with vinaigrette dressing for a complete meal.

12 slices hearty sandwich bread, crusts trimmed off
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Equipment:  13″ x 9″ x 2″ glass or non-reactive metal baking pan
Natural gas oven

Serves 6 to 8

Grease the pan with softened butter.

Place six slices of bread in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the bread and top with the remaining bread.

Lightly beat the eggs and mix in the remaining ingredients except the butter and Parmesan. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and press down to soak evenly. Dot with butter and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Place plastic wrap directly on the pudding and cover the pan with foil. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the pudding and re-cover with the foil. Bake covered for 35 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out fairly clean and the top of the pudding is lightly browned.