Savory Bread Pudding is a twist on a sweet Southern classic, made with savory mushrooms, herby pesto, and nutty gruyere cheese. Everything is tossed into a baking dish and baked for 45 minutes. The result is a savory breakfast or side dish perfect for a weekend or holiday brunch or as part of your holiday feast.
A Savory Twist on a Sweet Classic
A savory bread pudding is similar to sweet bread pudding, which uses eggs to bind the bread and other ingredients together. However, this recipe uses browned mushrooms, pesto, and gruyere cheese instead of sugar for a savory twist.
The main component of bread pudding is obviously the bread. It’s best to use day-old bread as it soaks up the egg mixture without getting too soggy versus fresh bread. Don’t worry, though. The pudding doesn’t taste like eggs. The egg only serves as the binder for the ingredients.
I’m always looking for new breakfast casseroles to have on hand in the freezer for when my kids come home. This one is a favorite because you can adjust the flavors based on your picky eaters. I have one who doesn’t like eggs, so casseroles are just the thing to make everyone happy.
You can also add some protein like sausage, to make this heartier, just cook it first.
This won’t be as rich and custardy as a dessert bread pudding since it uses milk instead of cream. (Have you ever tried peach bread pudding? It’s a favorite.)
The browned mushrooms add some depth, while the pesto is the main flavor you taste. Then, it’s topped with gruyere cheese for a creamy, salty, nutty flavor.
This bread pudding is amazing for a weekend brunch or serving for the holidays alongside a roast, ham or turkey. Try serving it instead of traditional stuffing for Thanksgiving, it’s great with some homemade cranberry sauce.
What Makes This Recipe So Fantastic
- Unique flavors: The combination of mushrooms, pesto, and gruyere creates a unique blend of flavors that’s a bit different form a typical breakfast casserole.
- Easy to throw together: After sautéing the mushrooms and chopping the bread, you basically toss everything into a dish and bake.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: You can prep the entire pudding a day before and bake the next day or even freeze baked pudding and warm it up before serving. However, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated overnight like some breakfast casseroles.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe for Savory Bread Pudding
- Day-old bread: You’ll need one 16-ounce baguette, but any type of white bread will work, like sourdough or Italian bread.
- Dairy: This recipe uses six large eggs and milk as the binder and liquid. The eggs hold everything together while the milk soaks into the bread to keep it tender. Use whole for the best results but 2% milk will work in the recipe.
- Unsalted butter: This is for sautéing the mushrooms and adding richness.
- Mushrooms: These add umami flavor to the dish. You can use cremini (aka baby Bella) or button mushrooms.
- Gruyere cheese: Any kind of salty, nutty cheese will work, like American Swiss, Fontina, Beaufort, Jarlsburg, and Gouda. Cheddar just isn’t as good with the other flavors.
- Pesto: You can use store-bought pesto or make your own.
What If I Don’t Have Day Old Bread?
If the bread is soft, cut it into cubes and toast in the oven at 250º until it has dried out a bit.
Other Tasty Variations
- For more flavor, you can sauté a yellow onion or shallot with the mushrooms.
- Want some veggies? Mix in some spinach, chopped broccoli, or diced bell peppers with the egg mixture and pour it over the bread.
- Cook and chop some bacon and sprinkle it on top of the pudding before baking for a smoky flavor.
- For a richer flavor, you can use heavy cream in place of the milk.
Step-by-Step Instructions for a Savory Bread Pudding Breakfast
Step One: Prep the Bread
Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cut your bread into 1-inch cubes and set it aside. Toss the bread cubes into the egg mixture and stir it every now and then to let the bread soak everything up.
Step Two: Cook the Mushrooms
Melt some butter in a large skillet, then cook the mushrooms until they’re nice and golden. Add some of the cooked mushrooms to the bottom of a baking dish.
Step Three: Layer it Up
Add half the soaked bread on top of the mushroom layer. Sprinkle some cheese and add dollops of pesto. Repeat the process with the remaining mushrooms, bread, and cheese.
Combine the remaining mushrooms with the remaining bread mixture and add on top then add the rest of the cheese.
Step Four: Bake
Cover the dish with buttered foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes until the top is golden and crispy. Let it cool for a few minutes and serve warm.
Make Ahead And Storage
You can assemble the entire pudding, wrap it in plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge the day before baking. You can also bake the pudding and store it in the fridge for 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap the dish in plastic wrap, then foil for freezer storage.
How Do I Reheat Leftover Bread Pudding?
To reheat, let it come to room temperature then cover the pudding with foil and bake at 350ºF for 20-30 minutes During the last 10 minutes of baking, remove the foil to let the top get crispy.
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Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms and Pesto
Ingredients
- 16 ounce baguette day old
- 2 ¼ cup milk
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 8 ounces gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup pesto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
- Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and add it to the egg mixture. Gently stir to coat the bread and set aside, stirring it occasionally.
- Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and brown. Add ½ the cooked mushrooms to the bottom of the baking dish. Add ½ of the bread mixture on top. Top with half of the cheese and dollops of pesto.
- Mix the remaining mushrooms with the remaining bread mixture and pour it over the pesto. Cover with the remaining cheese.
- Butter one side of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the dish. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 15 minutes for a total of 45 minutes. The bread should be browned on the edges.
- Serve warm.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If the bread is soft, cut it into cubes and toast in the oven at 250º until it has dried out a bit.
- You can add cooked breakfast sausage with the mushrooms.
- You will get the best results using whole milk, but 2% will still work.
Nutrition
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Ellen F. says
Christmas morning and I fell in love right then and there! Totally easy to make, and all the flavors mesh together so perfectly. I used Sourdough rolls and Provalone cheese and it was Bom Bom! Looking forward to making more of your yummy dishes. Thank you!
Barbara Curry says
Thank you so much, I’m so glad this was a hit on Christmas morning and I’m sure it was great with sourdough rolls.