ingredients:

• 1 bakerly hand braided brioche cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter plus extra for coating pan
• 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp of roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves plus one tsp for garnish
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half
• 2 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp of salt divided
• 2 cups of shredded Emmental cheese
• 1 pound of Canadian Bacon cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese

instructions:

1. The first steps to this long and delicious recipe are... To coat your baking dish (that fits one hand braided brioche diced) with butter and set aside. Then, place a large frying pan over medium heat and add butter. When the butter starts to foam, add your chopped onions, season with salt, stir, and cook until just softened, about 3 to 4 minutes should do it. Add the garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 1 minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh thyme.
2. After these first steps, you want to whisk the eggs, half-and-half, mustard, and a bit more salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Arrange half of the bread in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of Emmental and half each of onion mix and bacon. Repeat layering with remaining bread, onion mixture, bacon, and Emmental cheese. Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the top.
3. Make sure to push the bread so it is submerged in egg custard, cover with plastic wrap, put a plate and a 1-pound weight on top (a large can of tomatoes or rice in a re-sealable plastic bag works well if needed), place in refrigerator for 3 to 12 hours for it soak.
4. Finally, after 3 to 12 hours of soaking the dish is ready to bake. Heat your oven to 325°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Let the dish sit at room temperature while oven heats up, it should be at least 15 minutes (depending on the oven). Bake the pudding for 20 minutes, then increase the temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until it puffs and edges pull away slightly. Remove from oven and sprinkle over remaining thyme. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
5. The final step of this huge feast is to enjoooy!