Asparagus, Ham, and Fontina Bread Puddings, and Hot Chocolate with Ginger

This is what we had for our Christmas breakfast. I figured we would be eating a little bit later in the morning, so I knew I would have enough time to throw it together. I made it in 8 little ramekins and cooked 6 in the water bath and 2 without the water bath, just to see what the difference was. The water bath definitely makes this more like a bread pudding and without it, it is more like a strata. Either way, it tasted really good. My husband absolutely loved these and that pretty much is a guarantee that anyone will like them.
The hot chocolate was a great way to start off the morning. It was very spicy and I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, but after a few more sips, I was sold. My family was a little divided, half of us really liked it, the other half, not so much. It was a fun breakfast anyway! Happy New Year's Eve- Have fun tonight!

Asparagus, Ham, and Fontina Bread Puddings from Cooking Light

1 pound asparagus

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

Cooking spray

5 (1.4-ounce) slices firm white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup chopped reduced-fat ham

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese

1 2/3 cups fat-free milk

3/4 cup egg substitute

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut a 3-inch tip from each asparagus spear, reserving the stalks for another use. Cut asparagus tips into 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add asparagus; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Coat 6 (10-ounce) custard cups or ramekins with cooking spray; place in a large baking pan. Place bread cubes evenly into custard cups. Top evenly with asparagus mixture, ham, and cheese. Combine milk and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour evenly into custard cups; let stand 20 minutes. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Hot Chocolate with Ginger from Cooking Light

1/3 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

4 cups 1% reduced-fat milk

1/2 cup fat-free chocolate syrup

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and is golden (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in milk and syrup; cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a whisk. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan, stirring frequently (do not boil). Strain mixture through a sieve; discard solids.

Coming Tomorrow- Pork Chops and Swiss Chard with Balsamic Syrup