Savory Bread Pudding with Artichokes and Goat Cheese

There’s just something about bread pudding that is super comforting. Sweet or savory, it doesn’t really matter. Bread pudding is one of those great things that you can whip up and use whatever you have in the house. It rarely requires a special trip to the store, just some old bread, eggs, milk, and then whatever you want to dress it up with. I opted for goat cheese and artichokes because the combo is superb AND I happened to have both in the house!

For this recipe I scooped the mixture into extra-large tulip baking liners, creating individual servings. This was a game time decision and they turned out better than I had hoped. How cute would these be for a baby/wedding shower?! I’ll definitely keep this one in my back pocket for upcoming events!

Savory Bread Pudding with Goat Cheese & Artichokes

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes 12 large muffins

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cans of artichoke hearts (not marinated), cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 large eggs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
1 cup crumbled goat cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add the olive oil and shallots and cook for approximately 2 minutes.  Stir in the artichoke hearts and garlic – cook for about 10 minutes or until the artichokes begin to brown.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the herbes de Provence.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Stir in the parmesan cheese and cubed bread.  Finally, gently stir in the artichoke mixture. Let stand for about 20 minutes.

Using an ice cream scoop very gently add 1 scoop of the mixture to each muffin liner.  Sprinkle about half of the goat cheese over the first layer of mixture.  Scoop a second scoop of mixture on top of the first and sprinkle with the remaining goat cheese.  If you want to forgo the muffin liners for a pan, use an 8″x8″ glass dish.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown.

Serve alone or with a simple salad.

Enjoy!