Three Cheese Roasted Chilli Bread Pudding

This three cheese roasted chilli bread pudding is absolute love! Intensely cheesy and deliciously fluffy, it is the absolute perfect accompaniment to a special breakfast or an elegant brunch.

I was never a breakfast person. As a child I found it very hard eating anything when it came to the most important meal of the day. I remember reluctantly downing, tiny sip by tiny sip, a small mug of warm milk flavoured with either Ovaltine, Milo or Horlicks and considering that breakfast. Most days I would have just half a mug of milk. Some days I would valiantly make myself nibble on a toasted slice of bread but that is by far the most I remember eating in the mornings as a school-going child.

Fast forward decades later, and on the rare days that I do have a proper breakfast, it has to be a special one and a long and leisurely meal into the bargain.

My idea of the perfect breakfast consists of a laid back and unhurried meal, mid to late morning, eating what I consider ‘the works’ for myself – a spiced cheesy fluffy omelette, thick rustic looking slices of brown bread, plenty of Lurpak or Nurpur butter, hash browns, maybe some fresh pineapple and banana on the side (thank you beautiful Sri Lanka for spoiling me rotten while I was holidaying there with your deliciously unforgettable breakfasts and getting me to appreciate eating fresh fruit in the morning) accompanied by strong chai or good French press coffee. Add to this the three cheese roasted chilli bread pudding and my breakfast goes from simply “perfect” to downright “spectacular”!

I love watching Nigella Lawson’s “Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen” show, even when it’s not Christmas. There’s something very cozy and cheery about the show and the recipes are wonderful. On one episode Nigella makes what she calls a Triple Cheese Strata, which is essentially a savory bread pudding, golden and toasty on top and fluffy underneath. Nigella, with typical eloquence says “It’s like a toasted cheese sandwich but a celestial one, eaten by angels.” My three cheese roasted chilli bread pudding that has been adapted from it is no less heavenly, if I do say so myself.

I had been wanting to try Nigella’s recipe for years but you know how it is when you really want to make a particular something but never really get around to it. When I did, finally, make my own version of it, I kept wondering why I had not made it much, much earlier. Yes, it is that good.

• 2 medium fresh green or red chillies
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped (both green and white parts)
• 2 cups cubed bread, at least a day old (crusts removed)
• Spring onion green parts, extra, chopped, to garnish

1.  Puncture the chillies in several places with a small sharp knife and with the help of tongs, roast both chillies directly on stove flame, turning frequently until blistered and charred in places.
2. Remove chillies from heat and cool. Slit from the sides, remove the seeds and chop finely.
3. Stir together all three cheeses until combined; remove 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and reserve.
4. In the jug of a blender or the bowl of a food processor, put the cream, milk, eggs, spring onions and combined cheeses. Blend or process until combined.
5. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish.
6. Stir the finely chopped roasted chillies into the cheese mixture and pour this mixture all over the bread cubes, covering evenly.
7. Cover dish tightly with cling film and let sit in the fridge for at least 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) and take bread pudding dish out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking to let it come down to room temperature.
9. Sprinkle the reserved cheese mix evenly all over the surface the the pudding.
10. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bread pudding puffs up and is golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.
12. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve warm with a crisp green salad, if liked.