Mix torn bread with half-cooked bacon. Add beaten eggs, milk and grated cheddar cheese. Season lightly with salt, sugar and pepper. Top with cubes of cream cheese and butter. Bake. The result is a light and airy pudding, slightly sweet but not irritatingly so, that will have you hankering for second and third helpings.
I call it a pudding but it’s been given other names. Ree calls it an omelet; Elise calls it a casserole. I’ve baked it before but I omitted the greens yesterday. This second time to make the pudding was a collaboration between me and my daughters as we all pitched in not only to bake a gorgeous and delicious pudding but also to come up with a great blog presentation as well. Alex did the preparation, I did the assembly, Sam took most of the photos. I wish we could work together more often.
Makes one 12-inch round pudding.
Ingredients:
8 slices of bread
6 eggs
1 c. of milk (I used skim milk but whole milk or even buttermilk may be substituted)
125 g. of mild cheddar cheese
1 tsp. of salt
3 tsps. of sugar
a pinch of pepper
200 g. of belly bacon
125 g. of cream cheese
75 g. (1/3 of a 255 g. block) of butter, chilled, plus a little more for greasing the baking dish
Crusty and chewy varieties like French bread and bagels work best but there’s nothing wrong with using just about any kind. We used sliced white loaf bread. Just tear the bread into fairly large pieces.
Cracks the eggs into a bowl and beat.
Pour in the milk while beating.
Grate the cheddar cheese over the bowl of eggs and milk. Well, you can grate it first then add to the egg and milk mixture afterward. If the angle of Alex’s arm looks awkward in the photo, that’s because Sam was telling her to please position the grater so that the underside was visible. 
Stir well.
Season with salt, sugar and pepper.
Cut the bacon into small pieces. Place in a baking dish and cook the the oven for about 10 minutes. Scoop out the bacon, discard the fat.
Mix the bacon and bread together.
Butter a 12-inch baking dish and pour the bread and bacon mixture into it.
Then, pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread and bacon.
Cut the cream cheese into cubes.
Cut the chilled butter into cubes
Scatter the cubes of cream cheese on top of the pudding.
Do the same with the butter.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for another 10 minutes or until the bottom and sides are lightly browned.
Let the pudding rest before cutting.
Serve sliced, by itself or with some meaty dish.
This sounds and looks like a strata? It looks good! Do you serve it for a breakfast/brunch?
I like breakfast casseroles which I sometimes
cook overnight in a crockpot so its ready when we wake up in the morning (on weekends)
I will try your recipe in the near future.
Yes, a strata except I didn’t keep it in the fridge overnight before baking. We eat it anytime of the day.
Another great idea, Connie! As always, great photos c/o Sam!
Is the recipe similar to the fritata? Yun nga lang instead of the potatoes, bread naman ang ginamit?
Well, something like. But this one isn’t partially cooked on the stove top. Goes directly into the oven.
Also reminds me of deep-dish pizza pala! Kielbasa would also be a good addition, don’t you think?
Yep, or even salametti or pepperoni.
I have to admit being a little bit scared of all the butter, but I’ll file this under recipes to try after being given the all clear by my doctor (high blood pressure, sob).
You can substitute Canadian bacon (fatless) and cut the amount of butter by half…
I just read your reply to the comment below me – a veg version with mushrooms and broccoli sounds great! I might try that rather than with bacon.
Hi Connie – - This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I know it as “strata.” The beauty of this dish is that you can put almost anything in it – mushrooms, spinach, peas, sausage, ham, bacon, etc. – and it will turn out delicious! I usually put all the ingredients together the night before and then put it in the oven in the morning.
I want to try it with Italian sausage, portobello mushrooms ans broccoli soon.
this looks yummy and easy … and will get rid of all those leftover bread (particularly pan de sal) …
for those on cholesterol count, try TURKEY bacon!! yum yum .. they are available in the Saturday market in Makati and in greenhills (there’s a group of pasalubong stalls among the many clothes stalls)
question, you use the baking dish on the stove top? Won’t it break? Or does it have to be electric?
No, LOL. I actually precooked the bacon in the oven (which was preheating) but a frying pan will do the trick as well. Was just trying to eliminate another utensil to wash.
hi connie
it looks yummy can i replace your bacon with ham? wht is the temp (degree C) like?
Yes, ham will be delicious. Oven temp is usual baking temp. 350F.