SERVES:
makes one 9 x 13-inch pan
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups 3/4-inch cubed 3 - 4 day old country bread
1 large minced clove garlic
1 Tbs fresh chopped thyme
1/2 cup diced sweet onion (or regular onion)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced asparagus
2 Tbs butter (plus a bit for greasing baking pan)
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups whole milk (or 2%)
salt and pepper
2 cups grated Fontina cheese
PROCEDURE:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly butter one 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
While the oven is heating up, take a minute to mince a large clove of garlic, chop a generous Tbs of fresh thyme, dice 1/2 cup sweet onion and thinly slice about 1 1/2 cups of asparagus crosswise.
Next, melt 2 Tbs of butter in a large pan on the stove top and saute the onion to soften.
Then add the garlic, asparagus and thyme and cook that along for 3 - 4 minutes to soften the asparagus and cook off some of the released vegetable water.
You want that to cool down to room temperature when it's done and, at some point while that's happening, take a minute to cut 5 cups of 3/4-inch cubed 3 - 4 day old bread and grate about 2 cups of Fontina cheese.
Make the custard by whisking together 4 large eggs with1 cup of heavy cream, 3 cups of milk and a little salt and pepper.
Add the 5 cups of cubed bread, the asparagus and onion and the grated Fontina cheese and mix it together.
Transfer that to the prepared baking pan and place it onto the center rack of the preheated oven.
That's going to take just about 45 minutes to bake and it's a good idea to spin the pan halfway around halfway through.
HINTS:
Substitute grated cheddar cheese for the Fontina. This is a very moist bread pudding. You can bake it a little longer to help it crisp up a bit more if you like.