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    Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

    October 11, 2024

    A tender savory pudding made from crusty bread baked in a bath of whipped eggs and herb-speckled cream in this hearty, flavorful Gruyère, mushroom and leek bread pudding.

    Categories

    • Fall
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter
    • Dinner
    Mushroom and leek bread pudding in a casserole pan

    Bookmark This Savory Bread Pudding for Thanksgiving

    We made a few adaptations of the beloved Ina Garten mushroom and leek bread pudding recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. If Ina Garten tells us to serve a mushroom and leek bread pudding instead of stuffing on Thanksgiving (and/or as a cozy breakfast) we don't argue. We have more great leek, mushroom, and Thanksgiving dishes for you – there’s Leek Soup, Wild Mushroom Galette, 20 Best Mushroom Recipes, and our best Thanksgiving Side Dishes. And for another yummy make-ahead mushroom brunch idea, try our spinach mushroom strata.

    More leftover or day old or frozen bread recipes

    rustic loaf of bread on a linen on the table
    rustic loaf of bread cut up into large cubes on a plate on the table

    Ingredients For This Easy Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

    • Bread – A rustic country loaf of bread

    • Fat – Olive oil, butter AND pancetta. Because this isn’t just any old savory bread pudding, it’s an Ina Garten savory bread pudding.

    • Alliums – Leeks and a yellow onion. Cremini mushrooms are perfect here, but you could mix in some wild mushrooms, too, if you want to mix things up.

    • Herbs – Fresh tarragon and parsley.

    • Sherry – Dry or medium dry, but no need to spring for anything too fancy.

    • Custard – eggs, heavy cream & stock.

    • Cheese – It’s true—real Gruyère from Switzerland is not cheap. But a little goes a long way! And there’s just no substitute for Gruyère’s salty, nutty flavor and its dreamy way of melting. Spring for it, if you can. If you’re feeling pinched, try buying a very small piece of Gruyère and combining it with a less-expensive Swiss cheese. That way you’ll still get some of Gruyère’s gorgeous flavor without skimping on the cheese.

    rustic loaf of bread cut up into large pieces on a plate on the table
    mushrooms, onions, fresh herbs, gruyere cheese and leeks on the table for homemade savory bread pudding

    How to Make Bread Pudding with Mushrooms, Leeks and Gruyère

    1. Cut the bread. Cut a loaf of bread into cubes, and bake until the bread cubes are dried out and crispy (but very much not burnt).

    2. Cook the mushroom and leeks. Sauté leeks, yellow onion and pancetta in oil and butter for a bit to soften, then dramatically deglaze the pan with sherry—deglazing always feels a little dramatic, right? All that steam! Or maybe that’s just us?—add the tarragon and mushrooms.

    3. Make the custard. Whisk together the cream, eggs, stock and Gruyère to make the custardy liquid that will give the bread pudding its luxurious texture.

    4. Assemble! Grab your biggest bowl and carefully stir the toasted bread, cream-egg mixture and the mushroom-leek-pancetta mixture. Let it sit for a bit, so the bread soaks up all of that flavorful goodness.

    5. Bake! Spread the mushroom and leek bread pudding mixture into a baking dish, top with more cheese (of course!) and bake.

    a bowl of eggs and cream being whisked with wire whisk

    How to Store Homemade Mushroom Bread Pudding + Tips

    • Make it vegetarian – Just add a smidge more olive oil (or butter) when you sauté the onions and leeks to make up for the lost pancetta fat, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this mushroom bread pudding vegetarian!

    • Can you freeze bread pudding? We usually just make ahead one day in advance and let it sit in the fridge until it’s time to bake, but yes, if you’d like to, you can freeze bread pudding. We’d suggest baking it first, let the mushroom and leek bread pudding cool completely, then wrap it tightly and freeze it. Reheat in a 350º F oven until it is warmed through.

    • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

    Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding in a metal casserole dish
    large spoon scooping mushroom and leek bread pudding out of a baking dish

    More Leek & Mushroom Goodness From The Modern Proper

    Other Thanksgiving Sides (That Are Delicious Year Round)

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

    Updated on October 11, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr 5 min
    • Calories:  584
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    Ingredients

    • 5 cups ½ inch-diced bread cubes from a rustic country loaf, crusts removed
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
    • 2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, washed
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed, ¼-inch sliced
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
    • ¼ cup medium or dry sherry
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ⅓ cup minced flat leaf parsley
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1½ cups heavy cream
    • 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF with a rack in the center position. Coat a 9x13-inch with olive oil.

    2. Spread the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

    3. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet set over medium heat, cook stirring, until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the leeks and onion and cook until the leeks are tender and onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, tarragon, sherry, salt and pepper, cook until most of the liquid evaporates, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.

    4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock and 1 cup of Gruyère. Add the bread cubes and mushroom mixture to the bowl, stirring until combined. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Stir the bread mixture before transferring it to the prepared baking dish

    5. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup Gruyère and bake until the top is browned and the custard is set, no longer jiggling in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.


    Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 584
    • Protein 20 g
    • Carbohydrates 21 g
    • Total Fat 48 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 240 mg
    • sodium 748 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Laura

      Curious if anyone has tried this with a sourdough loaf?

      That would work great, hope you enjoy Laura.

    • Mary

      Can you make this the night before?

      Sure! Bring to room temp then reheat on 350F until heated through. about 20-30 minutes

    • Jarvis

      if i cook it will it be good if i freeze it overnight

      Hi Jarvis, We’d suggest baking it first, let the mushroom and leek bread pudding cool completely, then wrap it tightly and freeze it.

    • Rosaline

      Did you say it can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated and then cooked the next day?

      Yes!

    • Dana

      Hi, Will this recipe freeze well? If so, do you cook it first or leave it raw? thanks!

      We haven't tried freezing this one. It should be ok, definitely freeze it after it is cooked. Hope you enjoy Dana!

    • Jenn

      Everyone raved about this, I'll definitely be making it every thanksgiving!

      Yay! We love to hear that, thank you Jenn!