Recipe: Arugula, Cheddar, and Bacon Bread Pudding (courtesy of What's Lara Cooking?)

Arugula, Cheddar, and Bacon Bread Pudding 

featuring Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Vermont Sharp Cheddar from Cabot Creamery in Vermont

I snapped this shot during Lara’s demo yesterday, but you can consider it a sort of “before and after” picture– cute little cubes of Cabot cheddars and the melty, toasty bread pudding that they grow up to be.

Growing up in the Midwest, I had vague ideas of Vermont. I pictured something pretty idyllic– featuring plenty of mountains, incredibly snowy winters, dance scenes from White Christmas, and rustic farmhouses where cheesemakers turned fresh milk into some of the country’s best cheddars. Now that I’ve seen the Green Mountain State for myself, I know that I was just about right. These days the cheesemakers there are making far more than just cheddar– check out the Vermont Cheese Trail for much, much more info on that– but their cheddars are the gold standard for American versions of this type of cheese. And Cabot Creamery is one of the oldest, best established, and most consistent of Vermont’s cheesemakers.

I can take exactly zero credit for this recipe, in which Cabot cheddars absolutely shine. It’s taken directly from the demo table of Lara, our culinary demo specialist. Those of you who caught her demo yesterday know what I’m talking about when I say that this recipe is one to have on hand during January. It’s hot and toasty, super hearty, and full of creamy-sharp and perfectly melty Cabot cheddars. This recipe calls for a mix of cheddars but doesn’t require you to use the entirety of the blocks. At first, that might seem like a shortcoming. Actually, it’s anything but. It gives you the chance to snack on leftover cheddar as you prep, and what cook doesn’t like having a little cheese course before the meal? 

Lara served this around dinnertime, but I think it’s a great recipe for a lazy breakfast on Sunday or a fancy brunch on a special occasion. And yes, I do think a cheese appetizer is perfectly appropriate before breakfast.

Arugula, Cheddar, and Bacon Bread Pudding

Yield: serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish

taken from What’s Lara Cooking? (itself inspired by Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding by Gina Marie Miragalia Eriquez for Gourmet)

FOR THE BREAD PUDDING

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 5 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 bacon slices
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 6 ounces arugula (about 6 cups)
• 6 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style bread
• 5 1/2 ounces Seriously Sharp and Vermont Sharp Cheddar from Cabot, grated (1 1/2 cups)

STEP ONE: PREP THE KITCHEN

Preheat the oven to 375 and adjust the rack to the middle of oven. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

STEP TWO: MAKE THE CUSTARD

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, salt and pepper.

STEP THREE: COOK THE MIX-INS

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Crumble bacon and set aside.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add arugula in handfuls and cook, stirring, until wilted. When all of the arugula has been added and wilted, add it to the custard mixture along with the bacon, bread cubes, and grated cheese. Stir to mix everything together.

STEP FOUR: COOK IT UP

Transfer custard mixture to baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and then serve immediately.

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