It beats me why this North Carolina sweet-and-savory classic never swept the rest of the country. Maybe it’s because the name sounds too much like dessert. And while it may be distantly related to bread pudding, tomato pudding identifies as a side dish. Perfect for a holiday dinner or barbecue, it dresses up any meal. Nobody has to know it’s embarrassingly easy.
A neighbor in Raleigh introduced me to the joy of tomato pudding and gave me her “recipe”: Mix stale bread with a can of stewed tomatoes and bake. I realized later she’d forgotten to mention the butter—the universal secret ingredient.
And yet the whole thing tastes far better than its parts. As it bakes and bubbles up, the sugars and butter do their Maillard magic to caramelize the tomatoes and slightly toast the bread. Flavors intensify far beyond what could come out of a can.
Humble beginnings
The alleged birthplace of tomato pudding, Bertie County in Eastern North Carolina, is not far from where I lived when my father was stationed with the Marine Corps at Cherry Point. Bertie is pronounced “ber-TEE.” This unexpected accent on the second syllable reminds me of our closest city, New Bern, where the stress falls on “New.”
A bumper crop of tomatoes in the region in the 1800s led families to create new ways to serve them. And what could be easier and more economical than using up stale bread with the tomatoes? It could even serve as a meal.
Of course, cooks back then stewed their own tomatoes. And some added heaps of sugar, which did turn the pudding into more of a dessert.
Now if you’re reluctant to use canned stewed tomatoes, consider this. We give you recipes for puff pastry, chutney, and many other grocery-aisle items because we think you should make them yourself. And yet we’re fully behind using canned stewed tomatoes.
Why? Because it’s quick, easy, and inexpensive. And the tomato pudding doesn’t care. So why mess with success? (A little chopped onion sautéed in butter can pump up the natural sweetness, though.)
Treat your family and friends to a luscious side dish they’ve probably never even heard of. And if anyone asks, it took you all day.
Tomato Pudding
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- 2 cups cubed stale or dried bread (preferably a rustic loaf like Italian or French), crusts removed
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a skillet or a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. If adding onion, stir it in and cook until it softens. Add tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces. Add salt if desired.
- Place bread cubes in the bottom of a greased 1½-quart baking dish.
- Spoon tomato mixture over the bread. Bake 45 minutes, or until it gets bubbly, the bread turns golden brown and the tomatoes caramelize at the edges.
