Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

This is one of those quick ‘throw together’ type meals that can be made with whatever you have on hand which is exactly what I needed last night after a chaotic day at home. My boy was home sick from Kindy with a bad cough which seems to be going around. He’s had it for a couple weeks now and it’s just not going away. I wasn’t up for much cooking after trying to keep him occupied all day and trying to get my housework done and I failed on all counts. This dish is great for a Sunday night quick supper, served with soup as a starter and you’ve got a hearty meal.

Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

Leftover bread of any sort, ie sliced bread, bread rolls, croissants, bagels, sour dough etc
Eggs (depending on the size of the dish and the number of people – I used 3 for the dish above)
1 cup of milk (or more if you’re using more eggs)
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
butter
bacon/ham
tomatoes, capsicum or any other vegies you want to throw in (I didn’t use any as I served Brocolli & Cauliflower soup for dinner as well)

Spread butter on bread and cut or break up into quarters or pieces. Layer in a greased baking dish. Mix together beaten eggs, milk and mustard. Sprinkle chopped ham or cooked bacon (plus chopped vegies) over bread. Pour over egg mixture which has been seasoned with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a 180 deg C oven for approx 20 minutes or until egg mixture has set and cheese has melted.

Lovely soft gooey egg bread and crunchy bits on top. Serve with a salad or vegies if desired.

Butter IS better

 

Once upon a time we were a household of margarine and butter (margarine for sandwiches and butter for baking and cooking) but after discovering some very interesting facts on the benefits of butter, we’ve converted to a ‘butter only’ household and besides we prefer the taste and realise that butter is better. We’ve been ‘butter only’ for a while now but just wanted you kids to know the benefits. If for nothing else but the taste, you can’t go past it. Try to get organic butter, if you can.

Twenty Reasons to Eat Butter

1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
5. Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.
6. Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
7. Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
8. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
9. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
10. Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
11. Protects against tooth decay.
12. Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
13. Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland.
14. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
15. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
16. May promote fertility in women.
17. Is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
18. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children’s brain and nervous system development.
19. Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
20. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

Source:  http://www.bodyecology.com/

You may get frustrated with the butter being too hard to spread on soft bread but what I do is keep a 250gm block of butter in the fridge and take out about 2 tablespoons and put into another container which I keep in the cupboard and that’s what I use for the day for breakfast toast and lunch time sandwiches. It gets used daily and the remainder is safely stored in the fridge. I usually buy a kilo per month and store that in the freezer in 250gm blocks and take it out of the freezer and put in the fridge when I’m about to run out.

There’ll always be the same old argument about margarine vs butter but in our house and for our lifestyle, butter will always win.