We're big fans of Binging With Babish here at The Devilish Dish. His videos are informative and entertaining and hilarious at the same time. He's also a big supporter of the restaurant industry and so are we! My brother-in-law just took a chef gig at a restaurant in New Orleans. But of course sadly, he along with so many others in the industry aren't working right now. In his latest Binging with Babish video, Andrew Rea (aka Oliver Babish) along with other chefs, encourages viewers to support their local restaurants by ordering take out and to show support: create a recipe using the hashtag #LeftoversChallenge. We had just enjoyed an Easter Feast from our favorite local Italian restaurant, Benvenuti's. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, snap peas, salad, Italian mac and cheese, carrot cake and lots of homemade rolls with butter. By the time the family feasted for a couple of days all we really had leftover was ham and rolls and after watching the #LeftoversChallenge Episode, my quarantine creative wheels started turning. Leftover ham and rolls have lots of potential. Ham sandwiches, Ham Salad sandwiches, Ham and cheese sandwiches. Never one to go with the obvious I thought about a variation on Eggs Benedict. Which got me thinking about my Benedict Strata breakfast casserole. Which then got me thinking about Monte Cristo Sandwiches, and I decided I would blend the two ideas and Monte Cristo Bread Pudding was born. We had everything on hand for a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich (which consists of ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, on bread, then dipped and griddled in a slightly sweet French Toast-like batter and served with powdered sugar and jam for dipping.) We were lacking the turkey and Swiss cheese so I improvised with A LOT of ham, and a combination of grated Cheddar, Mozzarella and a little Gruyere. Hey it's quarantine, get creative with what you have! I also tried to be fancy ala Babish and make mine in large souffle-style dishes. In hindsight I should have baked it in a shallow baking dish or smaller ramekins to allow the bread cubes to get extra toasty, but I was going for a fancy presentation. It actually turned out quite lovely, and we had a brand new jar of raspberry jam in our pantry that we warmed up to pour on top. A terrific brunch treat. I encourage you to support your local restaurants during this time. Grab some carry out and cocktails and if you happen to have leftovers, get creative and share your ideas in the comments! #LeftoversChallenge.
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| We took the Binging with Babish #LeftoversChallenge! Monte Cristo Bread Pudding |
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| Everything you need for a Monte Cristo (with a little quarantine creativity) Ham and Rolls from Benvenuti's. |
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| We didn't have turkey or the traditional Swiss cheese on hand so we used our quarantine creativity. Cheddar, mozzarella and a little Gruyere. |
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| It's not a Monte Cristo without Dijon mustard, and a little sweetness from vanilla and raspberry jam. |
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| Combine the custard mixture, cubed leftover rolls, chopped leftover ham and cheeses. Allow to rest on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking. |
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| Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with warmed raspberry jam. Just like a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich. |
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| Bake until the mixture is puffed, the custard has set and you have a lovely golden brown top. |
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| Monte Cristo Bread Pudding Quarantine Creativity #LeftoversChallenge |
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| Serve with warmed raspberry jam. Support your local restaurants! (Tip Generously) |
