Hawaiian rolls are a really handy thing to keep around in the freezer. You just never know when you might need a last minute extra for dinnertime in a hurry, and they do the trick. But, did you ever think to use them for dessert? Their natural sweetness lends itself perfectly to dessert and in this Strawberry Shortcake Pull Apart Bread Pudding, they’re the star of the show.

We’ve always loved bread pudding, but we hadn’t thought to make a pull-apart version until it occurred to us to use Hawaiian rolls for dessert. They’re totally ideal for it! You just scoop out the top of each roll and use those pieces to make the wonderful bread pudding batter. (It’s a combination of strawberries, cream cheese, a little of this and a little of that… and it is divine.) Then, you spoon it back into the bottom of the rolls and bake.

The attached rolls help the whole thing keep its shape, but when they’re done, there’s natural sections to break off into individual servings. We keep wondering why we’ve never made this before and it’s so easy and good, you’ll be wondering the same thing!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package (12 rolls) Hawaiian dinner rolls
• 1 cup strawberries, diced
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut out the tops of each bun of dinner rolls, and place the cut out pieces in a medium bowl. Keeping the bottom of the buns still attached, place them in a baking dish and set aside.

Add strawberries to the bowl of bun pieces and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. Stir in milk.

Add the batter into the strawberry/bun mix, and stir until well-combined. Spoon mixture evenly into each bun. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!