Meatball Bread Pudding

The ingredients in this dish are similar to the ones my mom uses to make meatballs--tomatoes, ground beef, cheese, and herbs bound together with eggs. A great way to use dried-out leftover bread.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 402 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup half-and-half cream
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 slices day-old bread, cubed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in the red wine, tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and half-and-half. Place the bread cubes in a 2 quart casserole dish, or square baking pan. Pour in the egg mixture, and chicken stock, and stir in the ground beef mixture. The bread should be saturated. Sprinkle half of the Romano cheese over the top.

Step 4

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden and the center is set. Portion into individual bowls, and top each one with some of the remaining Romano cheese.