Breakfast Bread Pudding Flavored with Italian Ingredients

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Step 1

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish so the pudding doesn’t stick.

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Step 2

Next, melt a couple teaspoons of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, green and red bell peppers, a teaspoon of black pepper, some garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Cook everything, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften—about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, then take the pan off the heat and let it cool down for a bit.

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Step 3

In another skillet heated over medium, brown the sausage until it’s nicely cooked through, which should take around 5 to 7 minutes. Once done, drain it on some paper towels to get rid of excess grease.

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Step 4

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half-and-half, Italian seasoning, the rest of the pepper, and salt. Add the bread cubes and let them soak in the mixture for about 5 minutes. Then fold in the cooked sausage, bacon, cooled veggies, Cheddar cheese, half of the bread crumbs, and half of the Parmesan.

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Step 5

Pour this mixture into your prepared baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, until it’s just about set.

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Step 6

While that’s baking, mix together the remaining bread crumbs, Parmesan, melted butter, and a bit more Italian seasoning in a small bowl. When the pudding is nearly done, take it out of the oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle that crumb topping evenly over it. Turn the oven up to 375°F (190°C) and pop it back in for another 20 minutes or so, until the top is golden, puffy, and the center is fully set.

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Step 7

Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it can firm up a bit. Enjoy!