032 / 75 · Savory surprises to pass
Brussels Sprout and Cheddar Bread Pudding Squares
12 squares from one shallow 9×13 in/23×33 cm dish; 1 square per buffet portion · Active 35 min · Cook 1 hr 5 min · Total 1 hr 55 min (warm service)
Cold-travel planning: 3 hr 55 min; follow the stated cooling endpoint and finishing route.
Print recipe · PDFFinely sliced Brussels sprouts disappear into a creamy bread pudding while leaving enough green edges to explain what is inside. The shallow bake is cut into squares, turning a familiar side dish into something easier to share. The mustard belongs in the custard, not in an unmeasured sauce drizzled over the finished food.
Give the sprouts a head start
A whole sprout takes longer to soften than the bread around it. Slice the trimmed sprouts thinly and cook them with onion before assembling the pudding. The brief uncovered finish drives away water so the custard does not become a pale vegetable soup. Toasting the bread separately also helps: dry surfaces absorb the measured milk-and-egg mixture more evenly than a heap of very fresh soft cubes.
A square still needs a spoon or fork
These portions are firmer than a loose spoonful but softer than a sandwich. Let the pudding rest before cutting, then lift the squares with a broad spatula onto small plates. The rest is already in the total time rather than hidden in a serving suggestion. For transport, it is better to take a chilled shallow bake with a clear reheating plan than to seal a still-steaming dish in a bag and hope it stays hot.
Ingredients
- 10½ oz (300 g) sturdy white or wholemeal bread, cut into ¾ in/2 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml/14 g) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced, 100 g prepared weight
- 12¼ oz (350 g) fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed weight, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, divided: 5 g for dish and 15 g for sprouts
- 2 cups plus 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (500 ml) milk
- 3 large eggs, 150 g without shells
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
- 5¼ oz (150 g) cheddar, grated
Set out
Oven, Large baking sheet, Shallow 9×13 in/23×33 cm baking dish, at least 3 qt/2.8 L, Large skillet, Mixing bowl, Whisk, Knife or food processor slicing attachment, Food thermometer, Broad spatula, Foil, Cooler with ice packs if transporting chilled
Allergens
Wheat, Milk, Egg, Mustard. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the bread on the sheet and toast 10 minutes, turning once. Butter the baking dish with 5 g of the butter.
- Heat the oil and remaining 15 g butter in the skillet. Cook the onion 5 minutes. Add the sliced sprouts and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until tender with some golden edges and no pool of water.
- Whisk the milk, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper in the bowl. Add the toasted bread, cooked sprouts and 100 g of the cheddar. Fold until all bread is wet. Transfer to the buttered dish, level it and leave 15 minutes for absorption. Scatter the remaining 50 g cheddar across the top.
- Bake 35–45 minutes until puffed, golden and at least 165°F (74°C) in the center. If the top colors early, cover loosely with foil. Rest 15 minutes, cut into 12 squares and lift with a broad spatula.
Bring it
For the easiest reliable journey, cool in shallow portions, refrigerate and transport at 40°F (4°C) or below. Carry a shallow oven-safe dish, foil and a spatula. During packing, travel and display, keep cold food at 40°F (4°C) or below and hot food at 140°F (60°C) or above. Allow no more than 2 hours combined outside those controls, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Discard food beyond that limit.
Finish at the gathering
Book oven space at 350°F (180°C), allowing 25–35 minutes for chilled shallow portions to reach 165°F (74°C). The host needs no frying pan. If there is no oven or verified hot carrier, serve the fully cooked squares cold in small batches instead.
Make it yours
The cabbage variation fits an all-year community supper. On a winter table, identify the sprouts plainly so guests can choose the food rather than discover an undeclared vegetable halfway through a bite.
Ingredient labels
Bread may also contain soy or sesame; check its label and the mustard label.
A useful detail
The 115-minute total allows the bread toast to overlap vegetable preparation, then includes the 15-minute soak, up to 45 minutes baking and the final 15-minute rest. A deeper smaller dish will alter this clock and make cutting less predictable. The displayed 115-minute total is for warm service. For the chilled Bring it route, plan a further 90–120 minutes of refrigerator chilling after the stated initial cooling, about 235 minutes overall before cold transport. Use shallow portions and check that all perishable components are at 40°F (4°C) or below; a clock alone does not establish that endpoint, and actual cooling may take longer.
Another way
- Use 350 g finely shredded green cabbage instead of sprouts and cook it until tender and dry in step 2.
- Replace 50 g of the cheddar with 50 g grated Parmesan for a stronger cheese version; keep the total cheese at 150 g.
Keep it well
Refrigerate in shallow portions at 40°F (4°C) or below within the combined party limit. Use within 3 days. Reheat covered to 165°F (74°C), uncovering briefly to firm the top. Freeze cold individual portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. Respect the combined travel-and-display limit in “Bring it.”