My dish addiction is no secret. We have discussed it here on the blog many times before. So it should come as no surprise that I have an impressive selection of vintage casserole dishes—from Pyrex to Fire King, and a whole lot of everything in between. One of my favorites happens to be a Corning Ware dish with the “Merry Mushroom” pattern on it. The orange, yellow, and brown color palette screams 70’s, and I love it! The dish keeps me inspired and I am constantly creating new mushroom recipes to proudly serve up in this dish. Trust me, nothing perks up a buffet table like a “Merry Mushroom” painted casserole pan!
Since I just learned that September was National Mushroom Month, I jumped at the chance to make something in this dish! Unfortunately I didn’t find out about this until the next to the last day of the month, so I had to act fast! I picked up my trusty Make-A -Meal cookbook from The Cassserole Queens (maybe you have heard of it?) and immediately turned to the Merry Mushroom bread pudding—one of the finest mushroom masterpieces around! The combination of portobello and button mushrooms makes it especially earthy and super comforting.
Shall we?
Yummy ingredients: Milk, rustic bread, portobello mushrooms, vegetable oil, button mushrooms, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, salt, freshly ground black pepper, eggs, and Gruyère cheese.
First take your bread and cube it into 2-inch pieces. Any rustic bread will do, but I used Ciabatta and I liked it a lotta! 🙂 Pour 2 cups of milk over the bread and refrigerate for 30 minutes – stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white.
Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture from the fridge into the prepared casserole dish.
Top with the mushroom mixture.
Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese.
Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Gorgeous and delicious! Happy National Mushroom Month (or in this case – day!) Better late than never, right?
Merry Mushroom Bread Pudding.
Serves 6
Cooking spray
3 cups whole milk
8 cups rustic bread, cut into 2-inch cubes (I used Ciabatta)
2 (4-ounce) portobello mushrooms
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 cups quartered button mushrooms (about 12 ounces)
2 garlic clove, minced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of the milk and the bread. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white. Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the mushroom mixture and sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Casserole Queens 