Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
- 6 ounces Canadian bacon or baked ham, trimmed and diced
- 2 links Emerils Kicked Up Smoked Sausage or 6 ounces hot smoked sausage, chopped
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Emerils Original Essence or Creole Seasoning
- 8 cups (1-inch cubes) stale French or Italian bread, or rolls
- 8 ounces grated Gouda or Fontina cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 3-quart (9 by 13-inch) baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
In a medium skillet, melt 2 teaspoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, green and red bell peppers, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the parsley, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool.
In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, cream, 1 teaspoon of the Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and whisk to combine. Add the bread cubes and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the cooked Canadian bacon and sausage, the onion mixture, and the Gouda cheese and stir to incorporate the ingredients. Pour into the prepared dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until almost completely set, 50 to 55 minutes.
(Alternatively, the bread pudding can be assembled up to this point, covered, and refrigerated 8 hours or overnight, and then baked. Let sit at room temperature while preheating the oven, before baking. )
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, melted butter, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Essence. Uncover the pudding and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top. Return to the oven, increase the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until the pudding is completely set in the center, puffed, and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Photo: Savory Breakfast Pudding Recipe

















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By tessalana
Space Coast, Fl...
on March 31, 2013
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This dish is begging for modifications based on your own tastes. You can practically do no wrong. Add mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli; omit the meat if desired (I like it with soy sausage too, fool around with the cheeses (as long as you use semi-soft cheese, you can't screw it up. MY ONLY DISLIKE: I don't think the topping is necessary. The dish is similar to a quiche, and the topping makes it seem like mac & cheese. It's a tasty topping, but feels out of place to me, and it browns up nicely without it. My fiance disagrees and likes the topping, but I leave it off. This dish is also nice in ramekins or oversized muffin pans, for individual servings. It holds together like a quiche would.
By feline3x_353516
south river, NJ
on December 13, 2012
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My family loves this dish. We make it on Christmas Eve and bake it on Christmas day. After we are finished opening our gifts, we sit down and enjoy the fruits of our labor, "this fantastic meal" You will not be disappointed.
By BbyBluThghHghs
Northern Virginia
on August 05, 2012
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This recipe wasn't bad at all but isn't a favorite. It may just come down to personal preference on my end as I tend to like sweet for breakfast as opposed to savory. I also noticed that this tasted very much like Emeril's cornbread stuffing with andouille. Not sure if this is so much a breakfast dish as it is a dinner dish. It would be wonderful on a cold night in winter!
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