2018...

I made this for Father's Day brunch today.  It was a big hit!

Ham-and-Cheese Brioche Pudding

• Yield 6 servings
• Time 1 1/2 hours

Karsten Moran for The New York Times 

Bread pudding, an old-fashioned frugal dessert, usually contains day-old bread, milk, eggs and a bit of fruit, fresh or dried, baked in a sweet custard. This savory version, made with ham and cheese, employs tender buttery brioche. It is easier to make than a quiche, but has a similar delicacy, perfect for lunch or a light supper.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
• 1 (12-ounce) brioche loaf or smaller brioches, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups half-and-half or whole milk (I used half-and-half)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cayenne
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
• 6 ounces thinly sliced ham, cut crosswise into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces grated Gouda or Gruyère cheese (about 4 cups)  ( I used Gruyére)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 11-by-11-inch baking dish (or a 9 x 13  pan). Fill dish with brioche cubes and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and scallions. Pour mixture over cubes in baking dish.
3. Sprinkle ham and cheese on top of mixture, and press down to make sure everything is submerged. Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Transfer baking dish and baking sheet to the middle shelf of the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the dish emerges dry. Let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.