Savoury vegetable bread bake
Stale bread and safely stored cooked broccoli become a savoury egg-and-milk bake with a golden Cheddar top.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 300g stale but edible bread, cut into 2cm cubes
- 300g safely chilled cooked broccoli, chopped
- 4 eggs
- 400ml milk
- 100g Cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Set out the ingredients
Use a shallow 2-litre dish rather than a deep loaf tin. Chop the cooked broccoli into small bite-sized pieces and grate the cheese, keeping the broccoli refrigerated until the soak is ready.
- Check the leftovers
Use broccoli refrigerated within 2 hours, within 48 hours of cooking and not previously reheated. Discard mouldy bread completely; trimming mould off is not enough. Heat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan.
- Soak
Oil a shallow 2-litre baking dish. Spread in bread and broccoli. Whisk eggs, milk and pepper together, stir in half the cheese and pour over. Press bread gently into the liquid and stand for 10 minutes.
- Bake
Scatter over remaining cheese and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and firmly set at the centre, with no liquid egg. Check the middle reaches 75°C for 30 seconds; extend cooking if needed and cover the top loosely if too brown.
- Portion
Stand for 5 minutes, then cut into four portions and serve. The broccoli has now been reheated once.
Make it work with what you have
- Preparation includes the 10-minute soak. Very dry bread may need a few extra minutes to absorb the mixture.
- Use a shallow dish so the centre sets before the edges dry.