Savory Bread Pudding With Kale and Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

Really delicious, and it scales wonderfully. I've made this a few times and would suggest including a vegetable such as sweet potato or carrot to add a welcome sweet note. Also, if using a very dark wheat bread, or rye especially, add a teaspoon of mustard to the egg mixture for a nice piquant complement.

Just made this as a trial run for Thanskgiving, and it was delicious! I didn't have kale, so I substituted collard greens. I added a medium sweet potato, which I peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes, then boiled for 10 minutes to soften up. I used homemade whole wheat bread and added about 1/2 tsp of powdered mustard to the milk and egg mixture, as well as 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Lastly, I served it with a simple mushroom gravy, which really took it over the top! Will definitely make again.

This year, one of our Thanksgiving guests was a vegetarian. I made this for him - but all we carnivores loved it as well. I think it will be a Thanksgiving staple. I almost skipped the step of rubbing the bread with garlic, but I'm glad I did not.

I had 3/4 pound of bread so I used 6 eggs. I didn't have low fat milk so I used one cup of 1/2 and 1/2 and one and half cups of chicken broth. I didn't pre cook the kale. I made sure I removed the thick stems and chopped it a bit. I made it in the morning. I did follow the rest of the recipe. It was delicious.

Serve with a smoked paprika and roasted red pepper sauce (puree roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and olive oil and simmer). Also amazing with goat cheese baked in.

The ratios off everything didn't work for me, but I'd make this again with different proportions. Flavors were great. Added a few chopped carrots, and used extra cheese, too. Next time I'd probably add some chicken or vegetable stock to the milk/egg mixture too.

I chopped and steamed the kale, added 4oz cooked (frozen/thawed) spinach as my bunch of kale was small (!) and 8oz cubed butternut squash, also steamed until soft. Used Comte instead of Gruyere (that's what I had), and added a couple of tbsps creme fraiche to the milk to make up 2 cups. Like others, added nutmeg and mustard powder to perk it up. I had never made a Strata before but had lots of stale-ish bread to use up after a baking course. Will definitely make again.

I sautéed all veggies in a cast iron skillet, starting with the mushrooms and adding per cooking time, finishing with kale. Then used that to bake the whole thing in. Saved a dish and gave lovely crust. Works well with additions of other veggies, this time I added broccoli and have also done green beans.

After my niece's wedding we had a lot of finger sandwiches left over; my sister took sandwich innards for my Paleo brother-in-law; I took the bread (sliced brioche rolls), and tried making this recipe with it. DELICIOUS. Although the bread wasn't "stale," or dry, it absorbed the custard well, and the ghost of salad dressing and/or butter melded well with the seasonings. Also used spinach (raw) instead of kale; otherwise, followed recipe closely. So live it up with the bread!

Very tasty, but the ingredients didn't quite "congeal" the way I'd hoped. You could taste each element very distinctly. Added extra cheese. I'd add more garlic and mustard as others suggested next time.

I used spinach instead of kale, used 3x the quantity of mushrooms (had to use them soon!) and twice as much cheese. Since the mushrooms have moisture of their own I only used one cup of milk. Also, I didn't have fresh thyme so I used Italian seasoning. It turned out really good and my 2-year-old liked it. It needed a little bit more salt, but it was hard to gauge the seasoning after adding the eggs and milk.

I really loved this dish. I subbed whole milk for low-fat and added a layer of both cheeses on top, which I think helped make it feel more luxurious. I was nervous from comments that it would be bland, so I seasoned each element well (mushrooms, kale blanching water, egg mixture) which came through nicely as a combined dish. I also prepared it completely and let it sit in the fridge for 8 hours before baking, so bread was softer and more flavorful. Forgot to rub bread with garlic, next time!

Do you have any suggestions for kale substitutes? Escarole or Swiss chard, perhaps?

To stale bread quickly put in 350° oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned

Wow this was delicious! A hit with the whole family - husband, 3 year old, and 7 month old! I made this with ingredients I had on hand, so omitted the mushrooms, added a whole onion finely minced (so that toddler wouldn't know it was there and so that it went down easy for the baby with no teeth), and added a big bunch of chard, including the stems, which I finely minced. Also did all gruyere since we had no parm. Only issue was that it took closer to 60 (!) minutes to bake.

Excellent. I cut in half. Added shallots to the mushrooms. And used challah from a favorite local bakery. Wanted something softer than multigrain. Will definitely make again.

I love kale, but my favorite version of this is with Swiss chard. Wonderful recipe!

I found this to be pretty bland, even after I added a sauteed onion to the mix. Maybe next time more cheese? I wonder about constructing it as I have other stratas - sprinkle the cheese in layers over the layers of bread and veggies and then pour the egg mixture over the whole thing. I also think it is important to cook the kale first. I blanched it in hot water and didn't feel it was sufficiently cooked and I love kale.

Made this last night without altering the recipe and it was delicious! Next time I’ll add more mushrooms and kale and also some butternut squash for sweetness.

Delicious! I took the suggestions to add sweet potatoes (do it!), used leftover olive sourdough bread, spinach instead of kale and 1 c whole milk with 1 cup chicken stock. I also added red pepper flakes. I’ll definitely make this again!!

I made this as a vegetarian dish for Thanksgiving. Perfect choice to replace turkey and stuffing. Wonderful for next day brunch. I suggest making it a few fours ahead of time so the bread can get soaked. I used baby kale which is easy and delicious. I doubled and have one in the freezer for possible breakfast Christmas morning.

A good use of old bread, but next time I would cube the bread and toss it with the egg and milk mixture and let it soak up while I cook the vegetables, then toss it all together. Bread came out too dry.

Made with leftover onion focaccia bread and added some already-roasted broccolini as I was short on kale. Rave reviews!

I throw ends and unused bits of bread in the freezer ,and when I have about 1/2 lb take them out, toast them lightly, and proceed. I usually use whole milk and add a little dijon mustard. I cube the bread, let it sit with the milk/egg/cheese mixture all day (using less cheese, just the parm, b/c aiming at a side dish, like a bread dressing), then sauté some minced onion and garlic and add with dried thyme, along with the veg. Mix together, pile into a pretty dish, bake, and serve.

A good base for a savory bread pudding. Overall quite bland following the recipe as is (I added sweet potatoes). Some mustard helps but might try paprika and cayenne as others suggested.

This was absolutely delicious. I made a few substitutions based what I had on hand. I subbed leeks for the mushrooms, a mix of kale and spinach, and a mix of parmesan and sharp white cheddar for the cheese. Turned out beautifully and I'll definitely use this recipe as an adaptable template in the future!

Really good! I rarely think of savory bread puddings, but had a loaf to use up. Halved the recipe and didn’t tinker (except I used whole milk); excellent as is!

Sauteed kale in bacon; sauteed mushrooms with anchovies and garlic; added black olives and sun dried tomatoes. Let rest for 90 minutes before baking. Excellent!

I feel like this recipe is a little bland as is. Really helped to add cayenne and paprika when we served it, but if I make it again I will add those spices to the mixture.