Herb & Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• •8 cups country bread cubes (crusts removed)
• •4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• •3 ounces pancetta (½-inch-diced)
• •2 cups yellow onions (2 onions)
• •1.5 cups celery (medium-diced)
• •1 Granny Smith apple (peeled and chopped)
• •0.5 cup medium or dry sherry
• •2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (minced)
• •Kosher salt
• •freshly ground black pepper
• •0.5 cup fresh parsley leaves (chopped)
• •7 extra-large eggs
• •2.5 cups heavy cream
• •1.25 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• •2 cups Gruyère cheese (grated)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, tossing once, until lightly browned. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta, raise the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Stir in the onions, celery, and apple and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the sherry, rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is gone. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, chicken stock, and 1½ cups of the Gruyère in a very large bowl. Stir in the bread and the vegetable mixture and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard. Pour into a 9 × 13 × 2-inch oven-to-table baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Gruyère and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is browned and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve hot.