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Savory Bread Pudding Recipe

By Elaine Mellen

Posted on September 22, 2015

My Savory Bread Pudding recipe is a very rich dish, not meant to be eaten in large portions. But that’s okay, because it’s so delicious! It’s wonderful for lunch or dinner, with a side salad or vegetable.

Until recently I only thought of bread pudding as a rich dessert, but I was wrong. Over the summer I was in New Hampshire and got hooked on savory bread pudding. I decided to make my own, with heirloom tomatoes that I’d picked fresh from my garden, along with fresh herbs. You can add different veggies to this recipe as well. Experiment, have fun, and enjoy a wonderfully rich and flavorful dish.

Savory Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 loaf crusty white bread (1 pound)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes

3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

8 large eggs

1 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Cut the bottom crust and short ends off the bread, discarding. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1 inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed).

Place cubes in a large bowl. Add oil, thyme, basil, oregano, and garlic. Toss to coat.

Spread bread cubes out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to the same bowl.

Add olive oil to a large skillet. Add shallots and garlic, and sauté about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes continuing to cook for additional 5 minutes. Set aside.

Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in a large bowl. Mix egg mixture into bread.

Place 1/3 of bread and egg mixture in a prepared pan. Layer with 1/2 of the tomato mixture, then cheese. Continue layering 1/3 bread, then 1/2 tomato and cheese, finally adding the remaining 1/3 of your bread mixture.

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate. Can be prepared one day ahead.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.

Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.