Butternut Squash and 'Parmesan' Bread Pudding

I'm trying out one more savory bread pudding recipe, because I find they make perfect fall suppers! For the Parmesan, I used the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods, which looks like it has upgraded its formula once again. It gets easier and easier to be vegan, I swear!

Arrange 1 and 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and saute 5 minutes. Add 1 small minced garlic clove and saute an additional minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup plain soy milk (such as Silk), 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese in place of Parmesan, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, a dash of nutmeg, and the equivalent of 2 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G). Stir well with a whisk. Add the butternut squash and the onion mixture.

Stir in 4 ounces (1-inch) cubed day-old French bread baguette - if you don't have a kitchen scale, that should work out to about 4 cups, give or take, but measuring by weight is definitely the accurate way to go. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into a 1-quart (or 8-inch square) baking dish coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with an additional 1/4 cup of 'cheese'. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Divide into 3 equal servings of 310 calories each. You can easily double the recipe, but tonight I didn't need to feed a crowd, so preferred the smaller batch.

Cost:
plain soy milk $2.49
vegan cheese $3.39
French bread baguette $1.29