Tomato Bread Pudding

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 lbs plum tomatoes, such as roma halved lengthwise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de provence
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 head garlic, left whole
• 10 cups cubed country-style italian bread (1-inch, 1 pound)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups coarsely grated chilled italian fontina (9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°f with rack in middle of oven.
• 2 butter a baking dish - 13 x 9".
• 3 toss tomatoes in a bowl with herbes de provence, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• 4 arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a large heavy 4-sided sheet pan.
• 5 cut off and discard 1/4 inch from top of garlic head to expose cloves, then put on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil.
• 6 wrap garlic in foil and roast in pan with tomatoes until tomatoes are browned but still juicy and garlic is soft, 50 to 60 minutes (leave oven on.).
• 7 cool garlic to warm, then force through a medium-mesh sieve with a rubber spatula, discarding skins.
• 8 reserve purée.
• 9 while garlic cooks, toss bread cubes in a large bowl with remaining oil until coated, then spread out in a large 4-sided sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 10 cool in pan.
• 11 reduce oven temperature to 350°f.
• 12 whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic purée, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• 13 stir in cheeses.
• 14 transfer bread to baking dish, then pour egg mixture over bread and add tomatoes, pushing some down between bread cubes.
• 15 bake until firm to the touch and golden brown in spots, 50 to 60 minutes.
• 16 cooks' note: bread pudding is best the day it is made but can be made 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°f oven.