Ham & Cheddar Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
8 slices whole grain bread with seeds, like Ezekial Genesis 1:29 Sprouted Grain and Seeds
A little butter (to grease ramekins)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese on hand)
1/3 cup diced onions (white, green, red)
3/4 cup whole milk (raw is great if you have it)
1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth (homemade stock or low-sodium, organic store bought)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 - 4 ounces cooked ham, diced (no added nitrites/nitrates, lower-sodium if possible)
3 large pasture eggs
4 tsp sour cream or greek yogurt mixed with a sprinkling of thyme and chives or other fresh herbs (optional garnish)

How To:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into cubes and place onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted (turning once). Alternatively, toast bread and then slice into cubes. Remove from oven and let sit to cool for a couple of minutes.

In a large bowl, combine bread, most of the cheese (reserve a small amount to sprinkle on top), onions, milk, broth, pepper, ham, and egg yolks (lightly beaten). In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork about 30 sec. and then gently fold into bread mixture.

Spoon one-fourth bread mixture into each of four (7 oz) ramekins coated with cooking spray (or greased otherwise). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Top each with sour cream or greek yogurt when serving.

Comments: This recipe is a modified version of one from the September 2011 edition of Cooking Light magazine. If you have ghee or organic butter from grass fed cows, add a tablespoon to your bread mixture. Otherwise, don't worry about it. This was a great recipe to kick off fall weather, very much a comfort food. We all enjoyed it.