Recipe: 5 recipes using French bread for mandi in chicagoland

Hi Mandi:-) Here are a few recipes for you to consider, that I found on the internet. I have not tried any of them but they all sound good.

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VEGETABLE ANTIPASTO STUFFED BREAD
Source: Rachael Ray
Yield: 4 servings

1 loaf crusty bread, 9 to 12 inches in length
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained, chopped (1/2 a small jar)
1/4 cup black pitted Kalamata or oil cured olives, your preference, chopped
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
1/4 pound deli sliced provolone
1 jar, 16 to 18 roasted red peppers, drained
1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 cup giardiniera, pickled vegetables (hot pickled peppers, cauliflower, carrots available on the Italian foods aisle of market or in bulk bins near deli section with bulk olives)
Coarse salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Cut the top off a loaf of crusty bread. Hollow out the inside of the bread.

Mix chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives and store bought or homemade pesto sauce. Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of the hollowed out bread. Layer the cheese into the loaf. Layer the roasted red peppers on top of the cheese.

Coarsely chop the drained artichoke hearts and add them in a layer over the red peppers. Sprinkle in the chopped hot pickled vegetables and drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on top. Replace the top, cut the stuffed loaf into pieces and serve.

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WILD MUSHROOM AND BACON BREAD PUDDING
Source: New New Orleans Cooking, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces wild and exotic mushrooms, 1/2-inch diced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups day-old French bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
6 eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 7 by 11-inch casserole dish with the butter and set aside.

Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil and the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring often, until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to drain on paper towels.

Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme and cook until the mushrooms have wilted, and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season the mushrooms lightly with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, and place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Allow the mushrooms to cool completely, and then add the bread.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, and eggs and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Season the mixture with the Essence, the salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and mushrooms. Fold in the crispy bacon and allow mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.

Once the bread has absorbed most of the custard, pour into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Bake until golden brown and set in the center, about 35 to 40 minutes.

EMERIL'S ESSENCE CREOLE SEASONING
(also referred to as Bayou Blast):
Yield: 2/3 cup

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

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HAM, FONTINA, AND SPINACH BREAD PUDDING
Source: Gourmet Magazine
Yield: 6 servings

1 large baguette (about 3/4 pound)
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups spinach leaves (about 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
3/4 pound fontina, grated

Preheat broiler.

Diagonally cut baguette crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices and brush both sides with butter. Toast on a baking sheet under broiler 3 inches from heat until golden, about 30 seconds on each side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook onions in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden.

Add ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until ham is lightly browned.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl and whisk in milk, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add toasted bread and toss gently. When the bread is saturated, transfer it to a shallow 3-quart casserole, slightly overlapping slices. Add any remaining egg mixture.

Tuck spinach and ham between slices, reserving a little ham to sprinkle over top. Sprinkle cheese over pudding, lifting slices with a spatula to allow some to fall between them. Sprinkle reserved ham over pudding.

Bake in middle of oven until puffed and edges of bread are golden and custard is set in middle, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Bread pudding can be assembled 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Increase baking time to 1 hour and 10 minutes if bread pudding is cold when put in oven, and cover top with foil after 45 minutes to prevent over-browning.

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SAVORY SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE BREAD PUDDING
Source: Emeril Lagasse, 2004
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds spinach, washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 (8 1/2-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, tough outer leaves removed
6 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 to 14 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old French bread (about 1 loaf)
1 pound Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, optional
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible then roughly chop and reserve.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Combine the eggs, cream, milk, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley and stir to combine. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.

Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

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CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
Source: Paula Deen
Yield: 10 servings

1 (1-pound) loaf French or Italian bread, cubed
3 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated
Whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and place the bread in the dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur.

Using another bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder and mix well. Add the sugar mixture to the milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla and almond extract, and cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture to the milk mixture and mix well. Stir the grated chocolate into the mixture. Pour the mixture over the cubed bread in the pan. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes or until bread absorbs most of the milk mixture.

Bake pudding for 1 hour or until set. Check pudding by inserting a knife through the middle and it should come out clean.

Serve the pudding warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled with whipped cream if desired.