reinventions … Chorizo and Cornbread Strada (savory bread pudding)

It seems I am incapable of cooking for one person. I try, I do, but this fact has become abundantly clear during this quarantine and I am overrun with leftovers. Browning bananas, pieces of half used vegetables, staling loaves of bread, and plastic deli containers of semi-identifiable ingredients are taking over my kitchen. I don’t like leftovers so I’ve taken on the challenge of turning them into something new. Last night’s pasta, beans and greens became today’s lunchtime soup. Dinner leftovers were chopped up, encased in pie dough and reinvented as lovely turnovers. Last week’s excess cinnamon rolls became the weekend’s bread pudding. It’s been working out pretty well. Necessity is the mother of invention after all. The other day I found a plastic wrapped chunk of cornbread, hidden behind an enormous bowl of oranges. Wonderful. Forgot about that. It was fine, but stale. I thought about making stuffing to go alongside a roast chicken but bread pudding has been on my mind. What if I turned this stale hunk into a strada, a savory pudding with whatever I could wrangle up in the fridge? I could use those little bits of whatnot tucked in plastic wrap and Ziploc baggies and make something delicious. This was how a cornbread pudding was born.

What I’ve listed below is a mere suggestion. I had a lot of little baggies of vegetable parts in the fridge – piece of an onion, half a green pepper, chile peppers, a really sad tomato plus a bit of chorizo – so I went in a Mexican direction, with some cheese and fire roasted corn I dug out of the freezer. Not interested in Mexican? What about a more traditional mix of pork sausage, celery, onion and mushroom? Or bacon, green onion, sharp cheddar? Maybe Italian sausage, red/green/yellow peppers, onion, parmesan? Use whatever is looking a little droopy in the refrigerator, leftover from last nights dinner or unearthed from the freezer; it’ll all work. No cornbread? Use the bread you have. Keep in mind this is a great thing to do ahead – just stick it in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning. I actually think it’s better for that long soak.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: BREATHE EASY. Something this simple, that can literally use everything but the kitchen sink, is a great thing in these weird times. A friend of mine has routinely made one of these every Saturday night with all the bits and bobs and leftovers that collect over the week and shoves it into the oven Sunday morning. Her family thinks it’s a treat, she thinks it of a great way to clean out the refrigerator. No one needs to know.

eleven years ago: Brown Butter Banana Bread
ten years ago: Pretzel Dogs, Peanut Butter Bars  
nine years ago: Sticky Bun Bread
eight years ago: Strawberries in Hibiscus Syrup
seven years ago: Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, Lemon Loaf Cake
six years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
five years ago: Flourless Chocolate Cookies
four years ago: Giardinara Cheese Bread, Blueberry Crumb Cake
three years ago: Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Fig-Date Compote
two years ago: Pantry Clam Chowder
last year: Candied Jalapenos

CHORIZO & CORNBREAD STRADA (SAVORY BREAD PUDDING)
Serves 6-8
Below is just a suggestion; use what you have and use more or less if that’s how it works out. The cornbread tends to be a bit delicate so I prefer to toss all the dry ingredients together first, pack them in the baking dish(es) then pour the custard over but if your bread is more sturdy, you can simplify things by mixing it all together then putting the mixture into the baking dish(es). Need a cornbread recipe? Here’s my longtime family favorite

For the strada base:
4 cups dry cornbread cubes, ¼”- ½” cubes
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
½ green pepper, small dice
½ small red onion, small dice
½ serrano pepper, seeded minced
1 plum tomato, diced
4 oz Mexican chorizo
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup shredded cheddar
¾ cup frozen corn kernels (no need to defrost)

For the custard:
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. For the cornbread cubes: cut the cornbread into ¼”–½” cubes and spread out on a sheet pan in a single layer. Leave out uncovered overnight to dry or if you’re in a hurry, lightly toast in a 300°F until very dry.
2. Butter 6 or 7 individual 4oz ramekins, muffin tins or a 9”x9” baking dish very well. Set aside until needed.
3. For the filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and green pepper until translucent.
4. Crumble the chorizo into the pan and sauté until cooked through.
5. Add the garlic, serrano and tomato and sauté until the tomato breaks down, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the chile powder, cumin, oregano and salt and stir until combined.
7. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool.
8. Into the bowl, add the corn and cheese to the  cooled chorizo/vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
9. Add the dry cornbread cubes to the mixture and toss to combine.
10. Divide the mixture between the buttered ramekins (or baking dish) and place on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan.
11. For the custard: In a large glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt and pepper.
12. Divide the custard evenly between the ramekins (or pour over the mixture in the baking dish).
13. Let set for 20 minutes to soak up the custard while the oven preheats to 300°F with a rack in the lower third. Give the bread cubes a poke once or twice to submerge in the custard if you remember.
14. To bake: bake the ramekins for 30 minutes, a larger baking dish will take closer to 45 minutes. The custard should be just set, not runny at all, and the top lightly browned.
15. Serve hot or room temperature with salsa if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days.
16. Do ahead: if you like, fully assemble the strada and let set covered overnight in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats and bake as directed.