Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding - in the Microwave!!!

I've been going through some of my cookbooks - just browsing for ideas, you know.  I've come across some recipes I didn't even know were in them!  This is one.

When the kids were much younger, and Lazarus department store was a thing, we used to go to their second-floor restaurant for the buffet lunch when we were in the mall.  It was a great place for people watching because the windows overlooked the fountain in the very center of the mall - the busiest spot.  One of our favorites there was the bread pudding - yum!  When Lazarus was bought out by Macy's, the restaurant was no more, which, for us, meant no more bread pudding!  

I tried a couple of recipes here and there, but they were, well, meh.  Not bad, but not great.  Nothing I'd want to go to the trouble of making, especially because you had to bake it in the oven for an hour.  And if something's not all that, why bother?

Well!  I was leafing through my ancient (1984) microwave cookbook that came with my very first microwave oven and spied a recipe for bread pudding!  What?!?!?!?!?  How did I never notice that?  I mean, I use that cookbook a LOT.  There are several recipes in there I use frequently!

Oh, well.  I guess I have blinders on when I'm cooking.

Anyway, it's EASY and FAST, and because it's cooked in the microwave, it doesn't burn and requires no watching.  My kind of recipe!

I've seen bread pudding listed with recipes for breakfast, which gave me pause at the time.  But then, after thinking about it a bit, bread pudding is pretty similar to french toast casserole, except the bread is in smaller pieces.

So here it is!  The original recipe assumes a 750-watt microwave oven, but I've adapted it to a 1,100-watt oven.


Quick and Easy Bread Pudding

8 oz bread, cubed (fresh, not dried or toasted)
3/4 c dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 c raisins (optional, but they impart a deeper, more complex flavor - I prefer golden raisins)
2 c milk
1/4 c butter
2 eggs, beaten

Spread bread cubes evenly in an 8-inch, round (see NOTE below) microwave-safe dish.  Mix together brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt, then sprinkle evenly over the bread cubes, followed by the raisins.  

Measure the milk into a 1-quart microwaveable measuring cup and add the butter.  Microwave on high power for about 2 minutes, or until the butter is completely melted and the milk is warm (not hot).

Rapidly stir in the eggs with a fork and mix well, then pour over the bread cubes.

Microwave at 50% power for 10 to 11 minutes.  The center may still be slightly soft, but it will set up as the pudding cools.  Serve warm or chilled (but warm is best!).

[NOTE:  Using a ROUND dish in the microwave will allow the pudding to cook evenly, with no weird overcooked corners.]

Easy Peasy Cheesy Souffle (A New-to-Me Recipe)

I happened across Rachel Ray's TV show a few weeks ago, and she and Jacques Pepin were making a cheese souffle.  It was supposed to be easy, and watching the show, it sure LOOKED easy, so I went to the website and printed it off.  The ingredients were easy to find, except for the cheese.  The recipe specified Gruyere, and for some reason, the crummy Kroger closest to our house only carries one Gruyere (Boar's Head), and they hide it near the deli case.  But I dug through the piles of cheese packages and finally uncovered one.

I tried making the recipe, and it was indeed EASY.  I made a couple of very minor adjustments, like making the roux in the microwave instead of on the stovetop, and here's the result!  It's supposed to serve 4, but they'll be BIG servings!

Isn't that purty?

Easy Cheese Souffle

6 T butter
1/3 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
2 c milk
6 eggs
8 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
3 T minced chives or finely chopped green onion
grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter or spray a 2-quart casserole dish.

In a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (about 1 minute on high power).  Stir the flour, salt, and pepper into the butter until smooth.  Microwave on high 15 seconds, then stir.  Add the milk all at once and stir it in well.  Microwave on high 2 minutes, then whisk.  Keep microwaving at high, one minute at a time, whisking after each minute, until thick and smooth.  Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.  Add the Gruyere, minced chives/green onions, and sauce to the eggs and mix well.  Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.  Bake 35-40 minutes on the middle rack.  The souffle will be puffy well browned.

Hot German Potato Salad (A Microwave Recipe)

When my sister and I vacation together, we keep a lookout for German restaurants wherever we go.  We found one in Nashville, Tennessee, and one in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on our most recent trip.

Here's a quick and easy way to make traditional hot German potato salad.  This is the second Oktoberfest recipe I promised to post.  It's one of my favorites!


Hot German Potato Salad

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, fat reserved
1/3 c flour
1/4  c sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t celery seed
1/8 t pepper
1 c water
1/2 c vinegar

Place potatoes and bacon in a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Place bacon fat in a microwave-safe bowl.  Stir in flour, sugar, and seasonings.  Microwave 1 or 2 minutes at full power.  Stir in water and vinegar and cook at full power for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring after each minute, until mixture boils and thickens.  Remove from microwave and stir smooth.  Pour over potatoes in baking dish and stir.  Cover dish with plastic wrap, venting one corner.

Microwave at 70% power for 20 minutes.  Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Macaroni and Cheese (A Microwave Recipe)

When I helped them move into their first house and outfit the kitchen, That Girl's husband couldn't understand why anyone would want a large microwave oven.  "You don't cook in it; it's just for heating up food for the kids."

I beg to differ - I COOK in the microwave all the time!

This recipe is adapted from a book that came with my very first microwave (1984!).  The cheese sauce is cooked totally in the microwave.  The macaroni is cooked on the stovetop, the sauce is added, then it's all finished in the microwave.  It's a big favorite at our house, usually served with smoked sausage and a vegetable.


Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

1 pkg (14-16 oz) elbow macaroni
1/4 c butter
6 T flour
1 t salt
2 c milk
4 c (1 lb) shredded cheddar cheese (OR 1 lb Velveeta, cubed)

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions to just al dente.  You don't want the macaroni to cook to mush once it's added to the sauce.  Drain, then place in a 2-quart casserole dish.

While the pasta cooks, in a 1-qt microwave-safe bowl microwave the butter 30 seconds until melted.   Blend in flour and salt to make a paste.  Gradually stir in milk.  Microwave 4-6 minutes, stirring after each minute, until thick and creamy.  Stir in the cheese.  Add gradually to the drained macaroni, stirring to mix well.  Microwave at 50% power for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.


For an everyday meal, I use a 2-qt Pyrex glass measuring pitcher to make the sauce, then add the macaroni and do the final cooking in the pitcher.  One less thing to wash after dinner.  I'm all about making as little mess as possible.

Scalloped Potatoes (A Microwave Recipe)

When That Girl and her husband bought a house earlier this year, I took her the full-size microwave she had had in her apartment when she was single.  The Other Half couldn't understand why anyone would want that big of a microwave.  "Nobody cooks in a microwave.  You just use it to heat up food for the kids."

She and I just looked at each other.

Yes, you really CAN cook in the microwave.  From scratch.  Not a from a box.  Like any other cooking method, some foods do better than others.  Here's one that made a believer out of me.  This recipe is from a hardback cookbook that was included inside the box with my very first microwave oven - Christmas of 1984!

Scalloped Potatoes

4 T butter
4 T flour
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c milk
4 c thinly sliced peeled white potatoes
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Place butter in a 1-qt measuring cup and microwave about 30 seconds until melted.  Blend in flour, salt, and pepper to make a paste.  Gradually stir in milk.  Microwave 4-6 minutes, stirring after each minute, until thick and creamy.  

Spray a 2-qt microwave-safe casserole dish.  In the dish, layer half of the potatoes, half of the onion, and half of the sauce.  Repeat the layers.  Cover, and microwave at 70% power for 20 minutes.  Remove from microwave and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  This recipe was originally developed using a super-powerful (at the time!) 750-watt microwave.  I've adjusted it for 1,100 watts.