Savory Potato Roll Bread Pudding

Savory bread pudding made with classic potato rolls and smoked sausage all cooked and baked in one vessel. 

Lets talk potato rolls. I'm going through this phase where foods from my childhood are tasting WAY better as I re-try them as an adult. Examples: Rice Krispie Treats, Caesar Salad and Potato rolls. So after going through a few grocery trips recently and buying potato rolls just to toast them, slather them in ghee and Maldon sea salt, we figured we could try and make a legitimate recipe out of said rolls. This is that recipe.

Today's brunch for your winter recipe and meal planning purposes is going to be way easy. It is all cooked and baked in a single vessel: a dutch oven. It starts with sautéing onions and celery and jalapeño, which, to me is the start of everything delicious. (Minus the jalapeño because I'm a spice wuss). Then you throw in smoked sausage, toast and cube some potato rolls and whisk together some egg and dairy. Fold together, refrigerate, bake. THAT'S IT. How crazy is that? Bread pudding is fantastic to make and eat yet equally fantastically weird sounding (think about it...bread. pudding?).

While this is just one bread pudding, think about how easy it would be to make a sweet bread pudding and a savory bread pudding for brunch. Since these can be made the night before and baked the morning of, you can have hot breakfast waiting. I'm thinking you could do a cinnamon french toast riff for sweet? Or caramel apple? Invite me over and I'll taste it for you.  But in the mean time: cheese and savory await you. 

Let's talk nutrition blog things for a quick second. No, this is not whole grain. No, this is not skim milk. As you guys know from other recipes on the blog, we do love both of those ingredients, but today the focus is potato rolls and a very satisfying (seriously fat= satiety) whole milk cream. What is a nice benefit to this dish is it contains a protein in addition to fat and carbs. It is well rounded and if you're in a rush, this could make a good start to your morning (lots of produce later please!). And you know what? Most importantly, this is delicious and it is a great excuse to have people you love over for breakfast. 

Savory Potato Roll Bread Pudding

serves 6

/// Ingredients /// 

• 1 T butter
• 1/2 large white onion - diced
• 2 large celery ribs - chopped
• 1 large jalapeño - seeds removed, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large smoked german sausages
• 6 Martin's Potato Dinner Rolls
• 1/4 pound gruyere cheese, freshly grated (smoked ideal)
• 2 T fresh finely grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 green onions, chopped 

/// Directions /// In an enamel dutch oven (this is a Le Creuset 3 1/2 quart) melt butter and add onion, celery and jalapeño with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally with a wooden or silicon spoon (no metal on enamel!) until the onion is translucent and the mixture is fragrant (about 4 minutes). Add the sausage, sliced into rounds and cook on medium low until the sausage is nearly cooked (5 minutes). Remove the dutch oven from heat and prepare other ingredients (shred cheese, toast potato rolls and measure liquid). To prepare dinner rolls, cut in half and toast. Chop each roll into 4 cubes. Add to dutch oven with cheese and fold together. In a measuring cup add chicken stock, whole milk and heavy cream with eggs. Whisk to combine. Pour liquid over top of the mix ingredients in the dutch oven and fold together. Refrigerate at least four hours (or overnight) covered. To bake, preheat oven to 350 F with a rack in the center of the oven. Place dutch oven in oven with lid and bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove top and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes until the top is golden and crusty and the bread pudding is bubbling. Top with hazelnuts, nutmeg and green onions.