Parsnip Bread Pudding

Roasted Parsnip & Gruyere Bread Pudding
{loosely inspired by Martha Stewart}

This one was a fun discovery & definitely one to keep in active recipe rotation. A savory bread pudding using day old wheat baguette & some parsnips leftover from the root vegetable corned beef hash. Easy & healthy enough for weekday lunches, but elegant & pretty enough to serve to a brunch crowd. Some leafy greens would pair really well for a complete meal. 

ingredients:
5-6 parsnips
~2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 whole wheat baguette, cubed
2 shallots, sliced
7 eggs, divided
1/2 cup milk, divided
5 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, coarsely chopped
1 tsp whole grain mustard
3-5 dashes of worcestshire sauce
handful parsley, coarsely chopped
2 oz parmesean cheese, shredded
salt & pepper, to taste

1. pre-heat the oven to 425F. peel & dice the parsnips and toss to coat with about 1 tsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. bake the parsnips on a baking sheet until browned & caramelized, approximately 20-25 minutes. rotate half way through to ensure even browning on all sides.

2. meanwhile, saute the shallots in about 1 tsp of olive oil on the stovetop over low-medium heat until the shallots have softened & begin to brown. add a pinch of salt after tossing to coat with olive oil to bring out the natural sweetness of the shallots.

3. if planning to cook the bread pudding straight away, reduce oven to 375F once the parsnips have finished cooking. you could easily make this ahead of time & keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

4. lightly butter a baking dish, then line the baking dish with bread cubes (I used a 9 inch round baking glass baking dish). sprinkle cooked parsnips & shallots around the bread. 

5. whisk together 4 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, gruyere cheese, thyme, mustard, worcestshire sauce, parsley, and salt & pepper. pour the mixture over the bread & parsnips. use your fingers to make sure that the wet mixture really seeps into the bread. let stand for at least 20 minutes (or let sit overnight). 

note: I let mine sit over night at which point I realized the bread pudding could use more wet ingredients.

6. whisk together remaining 3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, extra parsley, parmesean cheese, and salt & pepper. pour over the bread mixture.

7. cover the baking dish with a foil tent. bake for approximately 40-50 minutes until golden brown and puffy. our kitchen was consumed with the smell of this bread pudding as it finished in the oven. it tasted every bit as good as it smelled!