Smoked Pork Bread Pudding with Leeks

I originally created this recipe because we had a lot of left over pork after our wedding. And we still do, in the freezer. We had been eating left over pork on small sandwich buns for days and days, and I wanted a way to use the leftovers, but not eat any more sandwiches.We enjoyed it so much, I wanted to make it again. And since we are coming up on our six month anniversary, it was time to get the pork out of the freezer.

I realized the pork had lost some of its smoky flavor in the freezer, but we are lucky enough to have a handy gadget called a smoking gun. This is a hand held device that can infuse smoke flavor in a short period of time. So, Ray loaded it up with some applewood, hickory and a little bit of rosemary, and we put some pork in a bowl and covered the bowl with plastic wrap. We did get a little smoke in the kitchen (something like a campfire!), but the pork now tasted nice and smoky, so I could begin the cooking !

Smoked Pork Bread Pudding with Leeks

4 cups diced bread
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked pork (or ham)
2 medium leeks, sliced thin and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/4 cup spicy mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

Saute leeks in butter and olive oil.

Combine together with bread, pork, and red peppers. Put mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. Pour over bread mixture.

Press down,cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 10 more minutes until golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven, let rest, and serve.