Pizza Bread Pudding
If you have already discovered the focus of this week’s column, then let me congratulate you on this find and the joy it must have brought to your life. If not, then read on. Actually - read on no matter your situation. It seems to me that every culture has some sort of flatbread; lefse, tortillas, lavash, focaccia, etc. I like all of these, however nothing sparks interest like pizza. Perhaps pizza is so universally appetizing because of the variety of toppings and crust. Whatever the reason, there is something special when we gather to eat pizza, whether it is for a casual wedding menu or cold leftovers for breakfast.
Leftover pizza is where this story starts. Leftover pizza is as rare as a cordial political debate since most people find a reason to have at least one more piece until the pie is finished. However, if you have some leftovers in the fridge, I think you should try something other than re-heating the pizza or eating it cold.
Lisa and I usually have leftover pizza as there are only two of us, unless our cat Clyde grabs a piece he has done in the past. In light of what I am about to write, we now order a pizza large enough to guarantee leftovers.
My mom used to make bread pudding with dried-out, stale bread. Bread pudding was a sweet dessert that was very substantial and consisted of an egg mixture that was allowed to soak into stale bread and then baked. A few years ago, I thought I would use this same methodology on leftover pizza.
I did an internet search and found I was not the only one who had discovered “pizza bread pudding.” There were many recipes although the basic premise is the same as my mom’s, although I have changed it up based upon what sort of leftover pizza we have on hand.
I have used eggs and liquid egg whites, and both work. However, whole eggs make a denser end result. I have beat the eggs with milk or with greek yogurt and both techniques work however the yogurt takes longer to mix. My wet mixture is typically 5 or 6 eggs beaten with a little milk or yogurt along with spices such as pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste. The one standard I always use is to add about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. The variables in this recipe are dependent upon the type of leftover pizza. I add meat to the recipe in addition to the original pizza topping but something that either mirrors the meat or compliments it.
If you plan to make pizza bread pudding, then you should leave the leftover pizza uncovered in the fridge overnight, so it dries out. The next day, the leftover pizza should be cut into 1-inch square chunks and placed in a bowl. You can then dump the egg mixture and additional cooked meat into the bowl and refrigerate for at least ½ hour to allow the pizza to soak up the mixture. You then place it in a baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil and bake it at the universal heat of 350 degrees. I layer cheese on top towards the end of the baking process or you can mix the cheese in with everything else. This recipe includes very few hard and fast rules- be creative. Day-old, cold and dry does not a good pizza make, it does find a nice home in pizza bread pudding.
