Herb & Apple Bread Pudding

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, tossing once, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta, raise the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Stir in the onions, celery and apple and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the sherry, rosemary, 1 tbl salt and 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp pepper and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, chicken stock and 1 ¹⁄₂ cups of the Gruyere in a very large bowl. Stir in the bread and the vegetable mixture and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard. Pour into a 9 x 13 oven-to-table baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ¹⁄₂ cup of Gruyere and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is browned and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve hot. Another option is to assemble early in the day, cover with plastic wrap and refigerate. Bake just before serving.