Savory Bread Pudding Recipe
This Savory Bread Pudding with leeks and gruyere is as cozy as it gets! A delicious and comforting side dish or vegetarian main - perfect for special dinners or the holiday table.
How to Make the Best Savory Bread Pudding
Few dishes embody comfort food quite like this savory bread pudding with leeks and gruyere. Inspired by Thomas Keller’s classic recipe but lightened up just a bit, this elegant side dish transforms simple ingredients into something truly special. The combination of tender, buttery leeks, nutty gruyere cheese, and a silky custard makes this the perfect addition to your holiday table or any special dinner.
The secret to this bread pudding’s incredible flavor lies in taking your time with the leeks. Slowly cooking them until they’re meltingly tender brings out their natural sweetness, which pairs beautifully with the rich, earthy gruyere. Toasting the bread cubes ensures they hold their structure while soaking up all that delicious custard, creating the perfect balance of creamy and slightly crispy textures.
Whether you’re serving this as a sophisticated side dish or as a satisfying vegetarian main course, it’s guaranteed to impress. Make it ahead for stress-free entertaining—the pudding actually benefits from resting after you pour the custard over the bread, allowing everything to meld together beautifully before baking.
Savory Bread Pudding
This Savory Bread Pudding with leeks and gruyere is as cozy as it gets! A delicious and comforting side dish or vegetarian main - perfect for special dinners or the holiday table.
Ingredients
Bread and Cheese
Leeks
Custard
Instructions
Prepare the Leeks
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut leeks into 1/2 inch rounds using only white and light green parts and place in a bowl of lukewarm water to remove dirt. Mix several times and let any dirt settle to the bottom.
- Set a skillet on medium-high heat. Strain the leeks and add them to the un-oiled pan. Season with salt and pepper, stir for 5 minutes.
- As leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the butter and olive oil and cover the pan, stirring every 10 minutes for 20-30 minutes, until tender and melting.
Prepare the Bread
- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toast on a sheet pan for 20 minutes until golden and dry. Turn mid-way so they are evenly browned.
- Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
Make the Custard
- In a medium bowl, whisk 4 eggs. Add milk and half and half and whisk to combine.
- Add salt, thyme, chives, nutmeg, and white pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Assemble and Bake
- Add the tender buttery leeks to the toasted bread and toss well.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and sprinkle the bottom with 1/2 cup cheese.
- Spread half of the leek and bread mixture in the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup more of the cheese. Add the rest of the leek mixture to the pan.
- Mix the custard once more and carefully pour enough of it to cover the bread mixture, gently pressing on the cubes of bread allowing it to soak in. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the bread cubes to protrude. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the middle of the oven until nicely puffed and lightly browned, about 1 1/2 hours.
Notes
- Don't be tempted to use all half and half - it will turn out very rich.
- Comte or Emmentaler cheese can be substituted for the gruyere.
- Black pepper can be used in place of white pepper.
- This recipe is adapted from Thomas Keller's bread pudding, but made a little lighter.
