Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

Most of the preparation can be done a day in advance so that all you need to do is to put it in the oven about an hour before your dinner. Alternatively, you could bake the dish two or three days in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator and simply reheat it before serving. Serves 8 to 10 as a main dish Preparation time: 1 hour and 45 minutes plus 30 minutes to overnight rest Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 1 pound loaf of day old, crusty country-style white bread; cut into 1 inch cubes (about 8 to 10 cups, loosely packed) 3 tablespoon unsalted butter plus more to grease the baking dish 1 pound mushrooms (can use shiitake, crimini, button, portobello or any combination); cleaned, stemmed and sliced 1 large onion, finely chopped 8 eggs 3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted 2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper To prepare: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks. Cook in boiling water till they are tender (about 10 to 15 minute). Remove from water and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Generously butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and place the bread cubes in the dish. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions an cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and cranberries and cook till the mushrooms are done, about 5 or 6 more minutes. Add salt to taste and then toss the vegetables with the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream, eggs, black pepper and 2 tsp salt. Pour the custard over the bread and vegetable mixture and then press the bread down with the back of a wooden spoon to make sure all the bread is soaked. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Bake the prepared dish uncovered till the custard is set, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Variation: Reduce the mushrooms by 1/2 and add 1 pound of cooked ground pork sausage to make a great non-vegetarian main course.