Correct us if we're wrong, but you can't call yourself a Canadian foodie without being a fan of Chuck Hughes.
Canada's most endearing celebrity chef recently released his first cookbook in a decade, and it's worth getting excited about. Chuck's Home Cooking: Family-Favourite Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours features a ton of the Quebec chef's go-to dishes that he loves to cook for family and friends.
There's plenty of cozy comfort foods to be found within its pages like chocolate banana buns (think cinnamon buns gone deliciously rogue), pepperoni lasagna (into it!), and a supremely easy-to-make savoury breakfast bread pudding.
"Savoury bread pudding is a great way to use up leftovers and feed a bunch of hungry kids (and adults). This one-pan dish is perfect for a sleepover breakfast, brunch, or a lazy dinner with some simple greens or a salad," writes Chuck Hughes in the introduction to this recipe in Chuck's Home Cooking.
Savoury breakfast bread pudding
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
10 cups day-old bread, torn into pieces
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup julienned smoked ham
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons milk (any type)
2/3 cup heavy (35%) cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small cubes
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 13 × 9-inch baking dish.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Scrape the cooked onions into the prepared baking dish. Add the bread, cheddar, and ham and mix together.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture and gently mix everything together. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter the cubed butter over the bread pudding, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crispy. Let the bread pudding cool for 5 minutes before serving.
