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When you think southern comfort food, items like collards, cornbread and brisket come to mind but what about sweet southern comfort food like bread pudding? What began in 2013 in the Hixson home of Sharon Mickel, Chattanooga Bread Puddings has helped many eat outside their comfort food zone and experience a unique taste of the south.
“While in my culinary school pastry class one day, we had to make bread puddings. I dreaded it because I hated bread pudding growing up,” Sharon explains, “I did not like the texture at all or the use of light bread to make it. I decided to make a savory one with bacon, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and Challah bread. I loved it!”
After some persuasion from her mother to try different flavors and different breads, thus Chattanooga Bread Puddings was born and now offers over twenty flavors. From her home kitchen, she can provide a traditional batter topped with a butter bourbon sauce or sweet potato with caramel sauce.
Go the fruity route with apple cinnamon, peach, strawberry or blueberry streusel. Take this dessert to the next level and enjoy strawberry cheesecake, carrot cake, red velvet, or orange creamscicle. Spike up a serving with Bananas Foster, White Chocolate Limoncello or her Pineapple Upside Down made famously with Cîroc Pineapple vodka sauce.
“I know there are others like me out there, so I want the world to fall in love with bread puddings…my bread puddings.” Sharon says when she talks about her passion for her bread puddings, “I get to introduce others, young and old, to a variety of bread pudding flavors. I love the smiles and the shocked looks I get from customers after their first bite. I love making bread pudding my customers new favorite dessert.”
She also makes a savory one to which would kick a cornbread stuffing off the menu any day. She stayed tried and true to her culinary school concoction by mixing in bacon, sautéed onions and mushrooms. She is constantly experimenting with flavors in her downtime, but thankfully the holidays have not allowed for much downtime as she has been filling orders near and far.
As she does not have a storefront or website yet, COVID has not affected her business too much as she can ship and allows pick up in Hixson. She does ship all over the U.S, including Tennessee and Georgia, and is happy to know folks are enjoying her bread puddings in as far away states as California, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Illinois, New York, and Idaho.
Recently companies have reached out interested in selling Chattanooga Bread Puddings in their stores. If all goes well, she will be able to open a storefront in the near future. Until then, you can follow Chattanooga Bread Puddings on Facebook and Instagram and place an order by emailing chattanoogabreadpuddings@gmail.com or call (423) 277-3319. She accepts CashApp, Paypal, or can be paid with cash upon pick up.
Sharon adds, “My job is to make your life a little more sweeter!” So help her do her job.
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