Side Dishes:

Old Fashioned Tomato Pudding

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"A favorite in the early 1900s, this sweet-savory, herbed bread pudding side dish still draws applause at Stafford's Bay View Inn, which overlooks Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey, Mich."

Ingredients

5 slices white bread
4 teaspoons butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Lightly butter a 1-1/2 quart casserole and set aside. Toast bread and spread the 4 teaspoons of softened butter on one side of each slice. Reserve 1 slice of buttered toast for topping. Cut remaining toast into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, cook the chopped celery, green pepper, onion and garlic in the 2 tablespoons butter for about 5 minutes or until tender, but not brown. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together undrained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, basil, thyme, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

Fold toast pieces and cooked vegetables into the tomato mixture. Turn the mixture into the prepared casserole. Place reserved toast slice on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes or until the pudding is heated through. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Midwest Living magazine, December 1999