Bagel Bread Puddings

My extended family owns and operates a bagel shop on the Outer Banks called Lighthouse Bagels.  They make the best bagels, being trained up north on the ins and outs of a real NY bagel.  With roots in NJ, we are spoiled with great bagels (and tomatoes too).  You know the kind that are crispy on the outside and oh so chewy on the inside.  And BIG.  One will fill you up for hours!  They make anywhere from salt to french toast bagels.  Whenever we visit the Outer Banks, we take home a dozen, slice them, and freeze them for later use.  Recently I've been making bagel bread puddings with them.  I am a huge bread pudding fan, savory and sweet so I used these bagels as a vehicle for my latest creations.  Here are the recipes:

Sweet Bagel Bread Pudding   

2.5 sweet bagels, cubed

1 C sliced strawberries

1/2 C chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped walnuts

3 eggs

3/4 C milk

dash cinnamon

Coat 8x8 glass Pyrex pan with nonstick spray.  Layer 1/2 cubed bagels, strawberries, and chocolate chips.  Then layer rest of cubed bagels and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.  Make your milk mixture by whisking the eggs, milk and cinnamon.  Pour over bagels and cover with plastic wrap.  Press the plastic wrap with your hands or put something heavy on top so all the bagels are submerged in the milk mixture.  Refrigerate overnight.  Take out 30 minutes before you plan to bake it.  Remove plastic wrap and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil, 15 minutes uncovered.  Serve with Greek yogurt, chocolate or vanilla sauce.  4 servings.   

Variation: 1 banana mashed, 2.5 chocolate chip bagels, cubed.  Add mashed banana to milk mixture and pour over cubed bagels in pan.  Sprinkle 1/2 C shredded coconut and/or 1/2 C peanut butter chips on top.  Bake as directed.  

Savory/California BLT Bagel Bread Pudding

2.5 savory bagels, cubed

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

3 eggs

3/4 C milk

Coat 8x8 glass Pyrex pan with cooking spray.  Layer 1/2 cubed bagels, tomatoes, and 1/2 bacon crumbles.  Then layer rest of cubed bagels, bacon crumbles and avocado on top.  Make your milk mixture by whisking the eggs and milk.  Pour over bagels and cover with plastic wrap.  Press the plastic wrap with your hands or put something heavy on top so all the bagels are submerged in the milk mixture.  Refrigerate overnight.  Take out 30 minutes before you plan to bake it.  Remove plastic wrap and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil, 15 minutes uncovered.  Serve with green salad.  4 servings.