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Home » Recipes » Thanksgiving Recipes

Savory Sausage Bread Pudding with Spinach

Published: Nov 3, 2022 · Modified: Jan 1, 2023 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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With Italian flavor of red wine and sweet Italian sausage, this savory sausage bread pudding will be your new favorite holiday staple! Savory cubes of ciabatta bread, are tossed with sweet caramelized onions, savory Parmesan cheese and tender spinach. This savory bread pudding can take on any holiday stuffing, with style and loads of intense flavors!

Savory sausage bread pudding with caramelized onions, spinach and cubes of ciabatta bread.

Savory Bread Pudding

Typically, bread pudding is made sweet (and if you are in the mood for a sweet bread pudding, you'll have to check out my Nutella banana bread pudding), but bread pudding can also be made into a delicious and savory side dish!

Think of this as a not so distant cousin to Thanksgiving stuffing, but punched up with lots of intense flavors. This savory sausage bread pudding is inspired from one of my favorite Italian pizzas, with chunks of Italian sausage, tender spinach that wilts ever so gently and a loads of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs to bring out all the flavors.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Lots of bold flavors from the Italian sausage, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
  • Perfect to make ahead and reheat when you're ready to serve.
  • Bread pudding has milk, creating a creamier and more filling consistency.
  • The caramelized onions give the bread pudding a touch of sweetness that works well with the savory sausage.
  • Great addition to your other favorite holiday side dishes!

Ingredients

  • Ciabatta Bread: Day old and dried out is preferred, so the bread is able to soak up the custard nicely.
  • Italian Sausage: Use 2-3 links of Italian sausage, either hot or sweet.
  • Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, thyme and oregano is used in the recipe. Use all or any combination, but fresh herbs are definitely a must have!
  • Red Wine: Not exactly traditional in bread pudding or stuffing, the red wine gives the savory bread pudding a great depth of flavor. I like to use a drier red wine, such as Cabernet.
  • Eggs and Milk: The base of bread pudding custard.
  • Chicken Stock: Similar to Thanksgiving stuffing, some chicken stock is added to the liquid mixture, in addition to the milk and eggs.
  • Fresh Spinach: Baby spinach is mixed into the savory bread pudding and as it bakes, the spinach gently wilts.
  • Parmesan Cheese: A classic ingredients to any Inspired Italian recipe. A good amount of grated Parmesan is added to the savory bread pudding and gives it a nutty, slaty layer of flavor.
  • Red Onion: Thinly sliced red onions are caramelized and become sweet and added to the savory bread pudding.

How to Make Savory Sausage Bread Pudding

Cook the Sausage and Caramelize the Onions

  1. Remove sausage from casings and break up the meat. Add Italian sausage to skillet and cook on medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through and browned on all sides.
  2. Add the chopped rosemary, thyme and oregano, chopped garlic and pinch of red pepper and continue sautéing for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
  3. Pour in red wine and use a sturdy spatula to scrape up any meaty beats from the pan and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes so wine reduces.
  4. Stir spinach in and saute until spinach just wilts, then remove mixture and set to the side.
  5. In another skillet, drizzle with olive oil and add the sliced red onions and sauté until onions are sweet and caramelized, about 10 minutes, then set aside.
 Caramelizing thinly sliced red onions to add to the savory bread pudding mixture.
Brown chunks of Italian sausage to add to the savory bread pudding.

Whisk the Custard Together

  1. In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk and chicken stock and whisk to combine. I like using this reduced chicken stock that you can add to water and has great flavor.

Assemble the Bread Pudding

  1. Drizzle a large casserole dish with olive oil and add the cubed ciabatta bread and scatter the sausage mixture on top.
  2. Pour over the custard over everything and use a spoon to gently mix the fillings together, while pressing down onto the bread pudding, so all of the bread is soaked in. Top with the caramelized onions and grated Parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil on top.
  3. Cover the casserole dish with foil and let pudding sit for 3 hours to overnight.
  4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 1 hour. Then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes to brown the top.
Savory bread pudding with sausage, caramelized onions, spinach and Parmesan cheese.

Tips, Suggestions and Substitutions

  • Day old bread that is dry is best for stuffing and bread puddings. If you only have fresh bread, toast the cubbed bread in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes until dried throughout.
  • Bread pudding needs time to sit so the bread can soak up the liquid and is perfect to make ahead of time.
  • A great substitute for Italian sausage is turkey sausage, chicken sausage or for a vegetarian option, sautéed mushrooms.
What is bread pudding vs. stuffing?

The difference between the two is that a savory bread pudding has eggs and milk, creating an incredibly creamy mixture. On the other hand, stuffing, uses stock and sometimes eggs as it's liquid base.

Can you make bread pudding ahead of time?

Yes and it is actually better to! You can either make the mixture and assemble, then freeze before baking or you can make the bread pudding, bake, let cool then freeze. Then when you're ready, heat in the oven until warmed through.

Can you freeze bread pudding?

Yes, bread pudding freezes very well. You can either freeze uncooked or after it is cooked.

More Bread Pudding Recipes to Try

  • Challah Stuffing with Sausage, Leeks and Dried Cherries
  • Challah Stuffing with Everything Bagel Spice
  • Savory Bread Pudding with Leeks, Mushrooms and Gruyere
  • Coconut and Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Savory sausage bread pudding casserole in a large baking dish, with sweet italian sausage, cubes of ciabatta bread and caramelized onions.

Savory Sausage and Onion Bread Pudding

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

This savory bread pudding will be your next favorite holiday staple, with Italian sausage, sweet caramelized onions and savory Parmesan cheese.
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Total Time 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 363 kcal

Equipment

  • skillet

Ingredients
 
 

Sausage Mixture

  • 2 links of Italian Sausage hot or sweet
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed and chopped
  • 1-2 sprigs of fresh oregano leaves removed and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped finely
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for heat
  • ¾ cup red wine such as Cabernet
  • 1 cup raw spinach leaves

Caramelized Onions

  • ½ red onion sliced very thin
  • 2 tablepoons olive oil

Custard

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken stock

Bread Pudding

  • 1 loaf Ciabatta bread stale preferred, cut into large cubes, about 4-5 cups in total
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Make the Sausage Mixture

  • For the sausage mixture, drizzle a skillet with olive oil and remove sausage from the casing and breaking up the sausage. Cook sausage until cooked through and caramelized on all side.
  • Add the chopped rosemary, thyme and oregano, chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
  • Pour the red wine in and use a sturdy spatula to scrape up any meaty bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced, then set mixture aside.
  • Lower the heat and add the spinach and saute until spinach is just wilted, for another minute

Caramelize the Onions

  • In another skillet, (or you can use the same skillet you cooked the sausage in), drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until onions are caramelized and softened, about 10 minutes, then set aside.

Make the Custard

  • In a medium-large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and stock until well combined.

Assemble the Bread Pudding

  • Drizzle the bottom of a large casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the cubed bread and scatter the sausage mixture on top and gently mixing in. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and use a spoon to gently mix everything together while gently pressing down so all the bread is soaked in.
  • Scatter the caramelized onions on top and the grated Parmesan cheese and drizzle with a bit more olive oil on top.
  • Cover the dish with foil and let pudding soak in the refrigerator for 3 hours to overnight.
  • When ready, leave foil cover on and bake the bread pudding at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes to1 hour. Then remove foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes to brown the top.
  • When done, remove foil and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Bread pudding needs to sit for a minimum of 3 hours and is best made the day before baking.
To toast bread, cube bread and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to dry. Can be made ahead of time.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 16gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 690mgPotassium: 266mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 657IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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Comments

  1. Luv2cook says

    July 05, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is great and here is why. It is great for breakfast with a poached egg over it or on the side as a "Stuffing" when you make chicken or turkey. Reheating this Savory Sausage and Onion Bread Pudding is easy low and slow with a touch of water.

    Reply
  2. Ava L Lamb says

    November 18, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    Very easy and tasty. I put stuffed mushrooms on top as a garnish instead of grated parmesan...the family enjoyed "Bread Pudding" but I could have eaten the whole pan as the main course!

    Reply
  3. francesca says

    November 13, 2014 at 7:38 am

    5 stars
    Stuffing's cousin is damn good lookin.

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      November 14, 2014 at 7:06 am

      Hahah thanks Francesca!!!

      Reply
  4. allie@sweetpotatobites says

    November 11, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    5 stars
    This looks amazing! It's the perfect fall comfort food dish. I love all the flavors you have going on 🙂

    Reply
5 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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