Are you one of those people who wakes up at 2:45am on the day after Thanksgiving to get out and snag all the Black Friday deals? If so, you confuse me. That so isn’t my bag.
I’m not sure even if they were giving away stuff for free if it’d be worth it to me. One of my greatest joys in the world is falling asleep to a movie after my leftover turkey sandwich. Then I wake up at some obnoxiously late hour (for me) and get to eat an awesome breakfast to help kick off the start of the Christmas season.
Breakfast > cheap TVs in my book.
This breakfast pudding would be the perfect Black Friday breakfast. You can assemble it a day or two ahead of baking and, when it comes out of the oven, it is impressive enough to convince folks you’ve been up since Kohl’s opened. Plus, it makes a hefty amount and is easily doubled or tripled.
Considering it is meat-free, it works well to serve varied groups of eaters (we have vegetarians and omnivores in my family). And even though it has a yucky “veggie” in it, the pudding is sweet and decadent enough that it’d probably be even kid friendly. Especially when you drizzle it with a dose of maple syrup.
Right now is a great time to get out to your farmer’s market (if it’s still open) or local food store and pick up some butternut squash for the winter. They are cheap and fresh right now and, if stored and cured properly, will last you all winter long. We have stashed of quite of few of these beautiful orange ladies thanks to our garden and CSA and it’s nice to have them ready to go on a whim. Plus, when they are out of season, butternut squash can cost a pretty penny.
Butternut Squash and Ginger Bread Pudding
The length of time in the fridge depends on the staleness of the bread you use. If you use a fresh baguette, only let the pudding rest in the fridge for about an hour or you'll have a mushy mess on your hands. Have day old or staler bread? It can last overnight or even longer in waiting.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (about 6 cups)
- 1 large baguette, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- Zest and juice of an orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Whisk together butter, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Toss butternut squash cubes with butter mixture. Spread in one layer on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown.
- Meanwhile, combine baguette cubes, pecan pieces and brown sugar in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining maple syrup, milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, orange zest and juice, and vanilla until frothy.
- When squash is done, toss gently with baguette mixture until evenly distributed. Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Pour milk mixture evenly over the baguette mixture.
- Cover dish and refrigerate for at least one hour and preferably overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375° and bake for 35-40 minutes or until pudding is set and top is browned.
- Drizzle with more maple syrup when ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 431Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 376mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 4gSugar: 26gProtein: 12g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
