Savory Bread Pudding, easy to make, easy to transport and absolutely delicious

In the April 4, 2012 Seasonal Pantry, which you can read here, I offer two delicious recipes–Savory Bread Pudding with Leeks, Asparagus & Sausage and Spring Frittata with Mustard & Herbs–that are ideal for Easter brunch that work well if you must cook them at home and transport them to another location. In that column, I promised links to other good options for Easter, whether you’ll be hosting a festive meal yourself or heading out to join family and friends somewhere else. Here are some of my favorites. If you have a minute, please share some of your favorites in the comment section below.

A single serving of my savory bread pudding, which is best served warm rather than hot or chilled.

French Lamb Loaf with Mustard • Serves 6 to 8

To transport this dish, bake it for just 15 minutes, wrap a towel around it and finish cooking it at your destination.

  • 1 long (not round) 1-pound loaf of San Francisco-style sourdough bread
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 small onions, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper in a mill
  • 2 pounds ground lamb
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to serve alongside
  • 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut the ends off the loaf of bread. With your fingers, pull out all the soft insides of the bread, creating a shell of the crust. Spread the inside pieces of the bread on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they just begin to color, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool and put into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly, to reduce the bread to coarse crumbs. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan set over medium-low heat, add the onion and saute until limp and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Do not let it burn. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl to cool.
  3. Return the pan to the heat and saute the lamb, using a fork to crumble it, until it just begins to lose its color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off and discard the excess fat, increase the heat to medium, add the capers and cook 2 minutes, tossing or stirring all the while. Add the parsley, thyme and mustard and remove from the heat. Let cool slightly, stir in the bread crumbs and fold in the egg. Taste, season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill the inside of the hollowed loaf of bread with the lamb mixture, adding half of the filling in one end and half in the other. Press the filling in, so that it is packed evenly throughout the loaf. Brush the loaf all over with olive oil and wrap it in aluminum foil, closing the foil at the top of the loaf.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, open the foil to expose the top of the loaf and bake for 10 minutes more.
  6. Remove from the oven and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
  7. To serve, cut the loaf into 1-inch-thick slices, divide among individual plates and garnish with a spoonful of Dijon.  Serve immediately.

 Spring Recipes from the Seasonal Pantry Archives

Burrata with Spring Garnishes

Poached Leeks & Deviled Eggs

Frittata with Mustard, Asparagus & Potatoes

Sicilian Frittata, with Caciocavallo cheese, lots of it

Joyce Goldstein’s Penny Soup, delightfully fragrant and aromatic, with lots of fresh mint and lemon

Chicken, Capers & Herbs in a Meyer Lemon Rosemary Round, with Green Peppercorn Mustard

Greek Lamb Loaf: A loaf of sourdough bread, hollowed out and stuffed with ground lamb, spinach, feta cheese and spring herbs, with a tangy tomato-lemon sauce.

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