The Foodie Physician

Dining with the Doc: Savory Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions

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This rich and savory dish is perfect for entertaining- and you can assemble it all the night before!
 #TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

This blog post was sponsored by Stonefire Naan, but all opinions expressed are my own.

When most people hear bread pudding, they think of dessert.  But there’s a whole other world of savory bread puddings and it’s pretty amazing.  Savory bread pudding, also sometimes known as strata, is a casserole made with cubed bread, cheese and other ingredients like vegetables or meat, baked in an egg-based custard.  This rich and elegant dish is equally suitable for the brunch or dinner table.  It also makes an excellent side dish or vegetarian entrée for the holidays.

#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

Savory bread puddings are perfect for entertaining and they definitely look very impressive when they emerge from the oven, puffed up and golden brown.  They’re an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish and you can toss in whatever ingredients you have on hand in your pantry or fridge- leftover roasted veggies, shredded Rotisserie chicken, canned beans, you name it!  And the best part is that they’re easy to make.  In fact, you can assemble the whole thing the night before and simply pop it in the oven the next day when your guests come over.

#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

So when I found out that I was going to have the opportunity to work with Stonefire Naan products in their #HelloNaan campaign, I knew exactly what I was going to make.  If you’ve never tried Stonefire products, let me fill you in a little.  Stonefire is a wonderful company that makes authentic naan, artisan flatbread, pizza crust and naan crisps.  Naan is a traditional Indian flatbread that you’ve probably tried if you’ve ever eaten Indian food out at a restaurant.  It’s deliciously light and fluffy and is perfect for scooping up Indian curries.  I grew up eating naan, but it’s one of the few Indian dishes I don’t make on my own because it takes a good amount of time and effort, plus it’s traditionally baked in a tandoor (clay) oven.  So when I’m making Indian food for dinner, I usually turn to Stoneware products because you get the authentic taste of naan with none of the work!
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

What I love about this naan is that it not only tastes great, it’s also made with the  highest quality ingredients.  Stonefire uses no artificial colors, preservatives, flavors or hydrogenated oils, which are often added to similar products to make them shelf-stable.  Because of this fact, they have a limited shelf life of 7 days.  Stonefire flatbreads are actually shipped to grocery stores frozen and then are thawed and date coded by the retailers.  So when you buy Stonefire naan, always look for the little sticker on the package with the “use by” date.
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

When I went to my local Publix, I found the Stonefire products where I usually find them, in the bread aisle near the tortillas and wraps.  And to my delight, they were BOGO (buy one get one free)!  BOGO deals are just one of the many reasons I love Publix.  So not only did I snatch up two packages of naan for this recipe, I picked up another two to keep in my freezer.  That’s another great thing about these products-  they can be frozen for up to 1 year!  I couldn’t decide between the Whole Grain and the Garlic varieties so I ended up getting both!
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding
Stoneware Naan can basically be used in any recipe that uses regular bread.  It works great with sandwiches and panini and also as a crust for pizza or a vehicle for dips. But I wanted to challenge
myself and do something a little different.  And I’m really excited about the end result!  Every so often, I make a dish that turns out so good, it exceeds my expectations.  As a recipe developer, those times are very exciting.  My Savory Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions is one of those dishes.  I could barely wait for my husband to finish taking the photos before I dug into it because it smelled so good.  And then I had to stop myself from devouring the whole dish!
First, I made the base of the bread pudding by cutting up the Stonefire Naan into pieces- I used a combination of the Whole Grain and Garlic varieties.
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

Then I mixed the bread with caramelized onions, spinach, cheese, and herbs.  Caramelized onions are one of my favorite things- I just think they make every dish better with their rich, sweet flavor.  They take a little time to make but they’re oh so worth the effort.  Just look at that deliciousness!  For a quick tutorial on how to make caramelized onions, CLICK HERE.

 

#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding #caramelizedonions

 

The whole mixture then gets bathed in an egg-based custard.  At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated overnight, if desired.
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

Then, into the oven it goes.  Normally, when I’m enjoying Stonefire naan by itself, I heat it up first so that it becomes warm and pliable but for this dish, you can skip that step.
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

The naan really soaks up the custard and as it bakes in the oven, infusing it with flavor and moisture.  The end result is tender, creamy, and fluffy on the inside with a crispy, golden brown exterior.  The caramelized onions are laced throughout the bread pudding, providing bites of sweet goodness.  Combined with the savory spinach, earthy thyme, and salty Fontina cheese, it’s a perfect combination!

 

#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

Savory Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large sweet onions (1½ pounds), thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 4 pieces Stonefire Tandoor Baked Naan (I used a combination of Whole Grain and Garlic)
  • 1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 4 ounces Fontina or other good melting cheese like Gruyere or sharp cheddar, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onions. Stir to coat all of the onions with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until they start to soften. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and caramelized, another 30-40 minutes. As they cook, scrape up the fond (the brown bits) on the bottom of the pan and mix it into the onions. If the onions start to burn or catch bottom, add a small amount of water to the pan. Once the onions are done, add the vinegar and stir to release all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  2. While the onions are cooking, cut the naan into 1-inch pieces (you should have about 9 cups) and place them in a large bowl. Add the spinach, caramelized onions, and almost all of the cheese, reserving a small amount for the topping. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together. Transfer the mixture to a large oval or 8x12-inch rectangular baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
  3. Make the custard by whisking the eggs, milk, thyme, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the dish. Press down to submerge all of the bread in the liquid. Let the mixture sit while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Alternatively, at this point, the dish can be refrigerated overnight.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the bread pudding and transfer to the oven. Bake 45-50 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Cool slightly, then cut into pieces and serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: One Calories: 304 Fat: 12.7g Saturated fat: 5.3g Carbohydrates: 31.7g Sodium: 627mg Fiber: 4.5g Protein: 14.3g
#TheFoodiePhysician #HelloNaan #savorybreadpudding

 

 

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Comments

  6. Sonali, I am seriously drooling as I scroll through these photos. LOVE all the caramelized onions in here, and I love that you made bread pudding with naan!!

  10. You are on fire…! Stone fire that is 🙂 LOL (okay, you can tell it's Friday!) I love this recipe, if I were your neighbor, I would be over in a heartbeat when I smelled this! #hellonaan!

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