1 2-lb
–
Salt and Pepper — to taste
1/4 ts Dried thyme
1/4 ts Dried rubbed sage
2 Cloves garlic — crushed
Flat
1 sm Yellow onion 5-6 oz — halv
Lengthw
2 ts Olive oil
1/2 c Diced fennel bulb,in 1/2″
Pieces
1/2 md Green bell pepper — in 1/2″
Dice
1 c Chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 lb Mushrooms — coarsely
Chopped
4 lg — eggs
1/4 c Cream — or half-and-half
1/2 c Grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 c Crumbled Blue cheese
1/2 c Coarsely chopped parsley
8 sl Day-old or toasted hearty
Bread — slice 1/2″ thick
Butternut (or Danish) squash
1/2 Lengthw/seeded
1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 2.
Season the squash halves with some of the salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp of the
thyme, and 1/2 tsp of the sage. Place 1 clove of the garlic into each
squash caviaty, and then place an onion 1/2, cut side up, into each cavity,
pressing it in, if necessary, so the top does not stick out. 3. Place the
squash, cut side down, on the cookie sheet, making sure that the halves lie
flat. Bake for 20 min. 4. Remove the cookie sheet, and lower the oven heat
to 350 F. 5. Peel the squash, and dice the flesh into 1-inch cubes. (Yield:
about 2 cups) 6. Dice the onion, and mince the garlic. 7. Heat the oil in a
large saucepan, and saute the onion, fennel, and bell pepper for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, and saute for 2 minutes more. 8. Add the stock, squash,
mushrooms, remaining sage, and remaining thyme, and bring to a boil. Season
with more salt and pepper, and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until
the stock is slightly reduced and has thickened. Remove from the heat. 9.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cream, cheeses, and parsley. 10. To
assemble the bread pudding, butter a 2-quart casserole, and line the bottom
with 2 to 3 slices of the bread, broken to fit and pressed in to form a
fairly solid base. Pour a 1/3 of the squash mixture and 1/3 of the egg
mixture over the bread. Repeat with another third of each twice more,
pressing the bread in gently, and ending with the egg mixture. 11. Bake for
45 minutes, or until set..
Serves 8….
Personal note:..if its grill time at your house…can grill the squash,
onion, and roast the garlic with what ever you had on the grill the night
before and then start at step 5…just remembering that the squash is not
totally cooked..it is finished between the saute and baking process..
Yields
1 Servings