Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie
Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie is incredibly rich and delicious. My friend Marion Ringborg created this recipe for our “How to Make Brunch” YouTube video, and it’s fantastic.
Bread pudding is one of the best ways to use up leftover bread. It can be both sweet and savory. This version is savory, as we had already decided on two sweet dishes for our brunch menu: Financier Cake with Salted Almonds and Brioche Donuts. We added spinach because the theme of the brunch was spring. We wanted something vegetal, eggy, cheesy, and brunchy! So we incorporated spinach for a green flavor and Brie for richness and cheesiness. And of course, bread pudding is already eggy and brunchy!
Very Adaptable
This recipe is fairly adaptable to what you have on hand. I wouldn’t suggest using sourdough or “rougher” bread for this recipe. It’s best with soft white breads. We used a loaf of brioche, but sandwich bread or challah would also work well. These bread absorb the egg base well and have a mild flavor. The bread acts more as canvas to the rest of the dish. Using something like a sourdough could overpower some of the other flavors.
You can also experiment with different cheeses. Look for something creamy, rich, and flavorful. We used Brie, which became melty and decadent when layered over the top. If you opt for a less melty cheese like goat cheese, consider dotting it throughout the dish instead of layering it on top.
Fresh is Best
Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie is best eaten fresh, but there are plenty of ways to prep ahead of time. The egg base can be made up to 4 days ahead of time, and you can fry off the sage and spinach a couple of days in advance as well. Tear the bread a couple of days ahead of time too; it should be stale for the best texture. You could even tear up the bread and freeze it for several months before using it. However, assembly and baking should be done on the day of serving.
Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Brie
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 deciliter cream 100g, ½ US cup
- 2 deciliters milk 200g, 1 US cup
- 1 small bunch of sage
- 300 g spinach approximately
- ½ loaf of stale bread torn
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small wheel of Brie
- Honey
- Olive oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and milk with a dash of salt. Set aside. If preparing ahead of time, refrigerate the mixture.
- Heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the sage leaves from the stem and fry them in the olive oil until wilted. Add the spinach to the pan one handful at a time, allowing it to wilt slightly before adding the next handful. Once all the spinach is soft and wilted, season to taste with salt and remove from heat.
- In a casserole pan, layer torn bread, followed by dots of spinach, and repeat until all the bread and spinach are used.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread and spinach layers.
- Slice the Brie into thick slices and arrange them over the top of the bread. Drizzle with honey and crack black pepper over the surface.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes or until deeply browned and bubbling.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!