Sausage and Fennel Bread Pudding
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Source: KOAA
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 cups cubed day old French bread
Butter and 8" X 8" square pan. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and salt and sauté until soft and tender, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the sausage in bite-sized pieces, nestling them down into the bottom of the pan. Allow sausage to brown before stirring. Continue to sauté until sausage is cooked through, another 3 minutes. Add white wine and stir to scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
In a medium bowl combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper and cheese. Whisk well to combine. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place bread cubes in bowl with sausage and pour egg mixture over the top. Using a spatula, gently stir to evenly moisten the bread cubes. Let bread sit for a half hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven. Bake 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve warm.
