Ina Garten's Thanksgiving Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding w/ Gruyère Cheese

When Ina Garten was asked, "Stuffing or dressing?" for her Thanksgiving table, she replied, "Neither." Instead, she serves a savory bread pudding that can be made ahead and reheated prior to the big meal.

This dish is based on her "Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding" recipe. I bought some of the ingredients on her recipe list, substituted others with what I had on hand, and added a few items from other recipes that sounded good. Her recipe is presented here, mine is below, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can use it as a base to mix and match whatever works for you, including vegetarian, gluten free or dairy free.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons*

How to Make Savory Bread Pudding:

Ingredients for Savory Bread Pudding:

6 cups (1/2 inch diced) bread cubes from a rustic country loaf, crusts removed; or use any dense white Italian bread; or use gluten-free, some options here

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter; use non-dairy substitute such as Miyoko brand here

1 Italian sausage link, thinly sliced; or 2 oz. pancetta or other sausage, or omit for vegetarian

2  - 3 sprigs fresh sage

4 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts (2 - 4 leeks)

1 - 8 oz. box cremini mushrooms, pre sliced, or up to 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and 1/4" sliced; plus 1 - 2 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute) for the frying pan

Kosher aalt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped flat parsley sprigs

2 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream, or milk substitute per personal preference

1 cup stock, preferably homemade: pork stock (what I had in the fridge), or vegetable stock (link here), or chicken stock (link here)

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese  + 3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese (for topping), or cheese substitute per personal preference

Directions for Making Savory Bread Pudding:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. 

1. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook through, stirring frequently, Add the leaves of the sage sprigs (so aromatic!) and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the leeks and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender. 

3. Push the ingredients to one side of the pan away from the heat if possible. Add the additional tablespoon(s) of butter and heat until it foams. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and slightly brown.

4. Stir the mixture together and add the salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until the liquid disappears, about 8 - 12 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the flat leaf parsley.

5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, stock, and 1 cup of the Gruyère. Add the bread cubes and stir to combine; let sit for about 10 minutes. Stir in the mushroom mixture and let sit for about 30 more minutes to allow the bread cubes to further absorb the liquids. Taste for salt and pepper.

6. Lightly butter a 3 quart gratin dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches). Add the bread pudding mixture and spread out. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup cheese over the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the top is browned and the custard is set. Serve hot.

To reheat, place in a 350º oven until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20 - 30 minutes.

#paleo #glutenfree #dairyfree #breadpudding #stuffing #dressing #Thanksgiving #holiday #recipes #savory #inagarten

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Mushroom and Leek Bread Pussing recipe here.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.