Savory Bread Pudding
Full of flavor and perfect for making ahead, this savory bread pudding steals the show at holiday meals! Leftover stale bread, creamy custard, and fresh herbs create a delicious casserole perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Ingredients
- 8 cups 1-inch cubed bread We use a mix of Sourdough and French bread
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms finely diced
- 2 cups Vidalia onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Before you start. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Stale the bread cubes. Spread the bread cubes onto a large unlined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until dry and toasted. Set aside. You are looking for the bread to be crisp like a crouton, without color!
- Cook the veggies. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and celery and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh herbs. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Simmer the sauce. Stir in the flour. Then the broth, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened. Set aside to cool completely, about 1 hour. It must be at least room temperature otherwise the hot sauce will cook the eggs!
- Make the custard. Whisk together the eggs and cream.
- Toss the bread cubes in the sauce. When the sauce is cool, stir in the stale bread, tossing to coat the bread. Then stir in the custard.
- Prepare the baking dish. Grease a large baking dish with butter. We used an 8.5 x 11.5 pan.
- Bake the bread pudding. Pour the bread pudding into the baking dish and bake at 350 F/180 C for 25-35 minutes (depending on how deep or shallow your pan is), or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. For a crispy top, turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes at the end of the bake time until the top of the bread cubes are golden brown. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn! (Make sure your pan is broiler-safe before doing this!)
- Serve and enjoy! Garnish with fresh thyme, serve warm, and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
Make ahead: Pour the bread pudding into the baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge overnight. I don't recommend making it further than 24 hours in advance or it will be soggy. You can also prep the components a few days in advance, then mix and bake when ready!
Baking dish sizes: For this recipe, we baked ours in an 8.5 x 11.5 baking pan. If using a larger pan, it will bake for around 20-25 minutes.
Doubling the recipe: Double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 baking pan to serve a large crowd. Keep an eye on it as it bakes!
