Thanksgiving Savory Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons rehydrated chopped porcini mushrooms in hot water. Reserve 2 tablespoons of liquid and strain.
• 3 large leeks

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1 bunch of kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (with 1 teaspoon reserved)
• 1 pound stale bread, preferably 1/2 whole-grain and 1/2 sourdough, sliced about 1 inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 ½ cups grated cheese (you pick! Queen Bee Porcini, Trufflehive, or Promontory.)
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms in hot water as directed on packaging.
3. Clean leeks by cutting off the dark green leaves and then slicing the light green and white parts to about ¼ inch thickness. Soak in cold water and agitate the water to remove the dirt. Move leeks to colander and rinse again. Run through a salad spinner or pat dry to remove excess liquid from leeks.
4. Heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté your leeks. As the oil dries, add veggie broth a little at a time to keep the pan from scorching and cook until the leeks start to become tender. Add in the chopped kale to cook through and soften. Add more veggie broth as needed. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss in the coarsely chopped thyme, rosemary, garlic, and parsley. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Cut bread into 1 inch squares.
6. Season the 2 tbsp of reserved porcini liquid with garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Oil or butter a 2 quart baking dish, soufflé dish or gratin pan. In a large bowl, combine the bread, leek mixture, and seasoned porcini liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 1/2 cups of your choice of Beehive cheese.
8. Whisk the eggs, milk, and heavy cream together then add to bread, leek, and porcini liquid mixture. Let sit for 15 minutes to let the milk and eggs soak through. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven, add 1/2 cup of reserved Beehive cheese, top with a few dabs of butter, and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve warm.