By Week 366. Year 8. Tommy is 40. The crawfish are running and the driveway is set up and the neighborhood knows because the steam carries the invitation. Rémy at the burner, 40-year-old Tommy at the table with a beer, watching the boy who became a cook become a man who cooks. Luc (17) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (14) in high school, painting. The spring is the same spring — crawfish and azaleas and the particular heat of March in Louisiana — and the sameness is the prayer.
Made crawfish étouffée this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The bayou runs on.
After the étouffée was gone and Rémy had wiped down the burner and Colette had wandered back inside still talking about the azaleas, I wasn’t ready for the night to end — and neither was anyone else. That’s when the bread pudding earns its place: it’s the thing that keeps people at the table a little longer, warm and sweet and unhurried, which is exactly how I wanted 40 to feel. Pineapple bread pudding has that same quality as a Louisiana spring — familiar enough to trust, bright enough to surprise you.
Pineapple Bread Pudding
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (about 1 lb) day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat — Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Soak the bread. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour the undrained crushed pineapple over the bread and press gently so the bread begins to absorb the juice.
- Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, milk, granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined.
- Combine. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and pineapple. Press down gently with a spatula to make sure all the bread is moistened. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is set in the center. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- Rest and serve. Allow the bread pudding to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm, directly from the dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 63g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 340mg