photo courtesy of flickr user 3liz4

This edition of Thrifty District targets being cost efficient and strategic with food items you already have in your kitchen.

For instance, what about that half loaf of bread that’s a little too dry for a sandwich. You thinking about tossing it out? Perhaps you’ll wait for it to age into crouton territory? Or maybe you can feed it to some birds? Here’s a better idea.  Transform it into an amazing wintry dessert on the cheap and in just a few minutes.

The below recipe is for a traditional “low cost” pudding designed to use up that crusty old bread that was a little too far gone.

Ingredients
o Butter for greasing
o 5 slices white bread, crusts removed, thinly spread with butter
o 1/2 cup raisins
o 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
o 3 medium eggs (at room temperature)
o 2 cups milk
o 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions
Grease a 6-cup round ovenproof soufflé dish. Lay a slice of buttered bread, butter side up, in the base of the dish, sprinkle on a few of the raisins, and repeat until bread and raisins are used up, reserving enough raisins to sprinkle on the top. Place the white sugar in a mixing bowl, break in the eggs, and beat for 1 minute with a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer. Add milk and mix well. Pour over the bread and push the bread down so that it gets soaked, then sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and after 5 minutes of preheating, place the pudding in. Bake for 30 minutes until the pudding has risen well and the top is crusty and golden brown.

It doesn’t get any simpler, thrifty or delicious than that. As a personal touch, I like to drizzle a little maple syrup on top. Yum!

Rebecca Johnson

A born and bred New Yorker, Rebecca made the big trip “down south” to DC in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her days strategizing/planning/ideating how interactive products can help her clients and change the world. In her free time, she explores DC’s ever expanding bar, restaurant and small business scene, plays a crap ton of soccer, attends concerts that contribute to her sleep deprivation and embarks on local adventures. Read why Rebecca loves DC or follow her on twitter.