Savory Bacon and Crab Bread Pudding Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 strip bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chicken broth, or more as needed
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 4 ounces fresh lump crabmeat
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup hollandaise sauce
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Butter the insides of 2 (10-ounce) ramekins and place on a baking sheet.

Place bread cubes into a large bowl, set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir bacon in hot oil until browned and almost crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove excess oil from skillet and discard.

Stir in onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper and cook for an additional minute.

Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream; cook until mixture begins to simmer, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour cream mixture over bread cubes and mix thoroughly until all liquid is absorbed.

Stir in 1 egg, lemon juice, tarragon, and lemon zest.

Mix in crabmeat, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Spoon Mixture into prepared ramekins and bake in a preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Remove ramekins from oven and top each bread pudding with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with cayenne pepper.