Blueberry Cheesecake Bread Pudding

Blueberry Cheesecake Bread Pudding

• 6 heaping cups stale bread cubes
• 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• Milk/Egg Mixture
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• Cheesecake Filling
• 1 package (250g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Butter or spray a 2.5 quart casserole dish and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, make the milk/egg mixture: combine milk, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and salt and whisk until well combined.
3. In a small bowl, make the cheesecake filling: mash the cream cheese with a fork. Add the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until incorporated.
4. !Assemble the pudding:
5. Layer half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the casserole, and top with 1 cup of blueberries. Using a teaspoon, dollop of cheesecake mixture overtop of the berries in an even layer. Top with remaining bread cubes, followed by the 2nd cup of blueberries.
6. Pour milk/egg mixture slowly and evenly overtop, making sure all the bread gets moistened (press down with a spatula if necessary). Let sit for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle almonds overtop of pudding. Cover with a lid (or foil) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the top is puffed and golden and the pudding barely jiggles when you shake the dish. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
8. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour