Mexican Bread Pudding

Capirotada is Mexican bread pudding. It is made with toasted bread, a sweet syrup, and a delicious addition of melted cheese. This dish is often eaten during Lent, but it is a welcome dessert any time. It has been a traditional dish since the 1400s, though you may still find people who are unfamiliar with it. You can quickly set up this dessert to enjoy any night of the week or you can plan it for a special occasion. The flavor definitely warrants special treatment; this dessert is so delicious that you will want to serve it for special occasions.

One reason it has not caught on may be the combination of cheese with the sweetness. This combination actually works really well. Cheese has traditionally been paired with sweet items like fruit and candied nuts, so why not in bread pudding? In some parts of Mexico, they even add onions, tomato, and cilantro to the syrup. Like many other traditional recipes, there are many ways to make this recipe. You can look around and find many different variations. Some have figs, some have peanuts; choose the one that sounds the best to you. You can also vary the cheese. While this recipe uses Monterey Jack because it is easy to find, you could also try it with hard cotija cheese or soft Mexican cheeses like Chihuahua. You can even make it with good old cheddar cheese. If you have ever enjoyed a melted slice of cheddar on a warm slice of apple pie, you will understand how cheese can work in this recipe.

Bread Pan

This is a recipe you could play around with until you find the combination of ingredients that you like best. It is still a pretty simple dish. It is definitely comfort food. You can make it with just a few ingredients on hand, too. It may become a family favorite.

Recipe for Bread Pudding or Capirotada

This traditional recipe is delicious.

What You Need

1 2-foot loaf of French bread, cubed and toasted 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/4 cup butter, melted

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and water together in a saucepan. Reduce it to a syrup by boiling for 10 minutes or until it is the right consistency.

Grease a large cast iron skillet or 8x8 cake pan. Put half the bread in the pan and pour half the melted butter over the top. Toss to coat. Drizzle one quarter of the syrup over the bread. Toss to coat.

Layer with cheese, pecans, dried apricots, and raisins. Top with the rest of the bread. Drizzle with remaining butter and syrup. Mix the top layer slightly if necessary to make sure each piece of bread is coated in syrup.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 15 more minutes. Serve warm if possible.

Makes 8 servings.

Mexican Bread Pudding

Mexican food is colorful and full of flavor. Do not think that this cuisine is nothing but tacos and burritos. Choose some special Cinco de Mayo recipes and find out what Mexican cuisine is all about.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

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