Elote Bread Pudding

Bits of charred roasted corn and chunks of fluffy stoneground cornbread are folded into a mayo-cotija-chili custard to create an elote-inspired cornbread bread pudding. The result is somehow, somewhere in between a spoon bread, bread pudding, cornbread, and a corn casserole. It’s soft, fluffy, creamy, a little smoky and spicy with just a hint of sweetness. I like to make the cornbread a few days before to let it become slightly stale. It’ll hold dup much better than if it were made with fresh cornbread. This cornbread recipe also results in a dryer cornbread rather than moist and soft, which also helps with its texture in the bread pudding.

Elote Bread Pudding

Serves 8

Cornbread

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal

• 3 tbs. granulated sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. paprika

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1 egg, beaten

Bread Pudding

• 4 ears of corn

• 2 tbs. olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, and chili powder

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 cup half and half

• 1/3 cup mayonaisse

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese

• Butter, to grease the baking dish with and to top off before baking

• Chili powder, lime zest, and cotija for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Whisk the egg, oil, and milk together for the cornbread. Mix the dry ingredients, inclluding the spices, separate. whisk in the wet to the dry until just combined. Spread into a lightly greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool then cut the cornbread into roughly 3 inch cubes. Either let sit out for a few hours before making the bread pudding or wrap up and place in the fridge for one night and up to 3 days before making it.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cut the corn off the cob. Toss the kernels with the 2 tbs. olive oil, and he 1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, and chili powder. Spread out on a sheet tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the kernels are golden brown and slightly charred. Let cool while making the custard.

Turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF.

Mix the eggs, half and half, mayonaisse, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and crumbled cotija together. Place the cornbread cubes in a mixing bowl. Pour the custard over the top. Gently and lightly fold the mixture together, some of the cubes will crumble completely into the custard and some will stay in bigger chunks. Rub a square casserole dish with butter all over, making sure to get the sides and corners well. Spread the bread pudding batter into the dish. Top with small pats of butter. Bake until golden brown and no longer jiggly, about 25-30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled cotija, chili powder, and lime zest.