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Savory sausage bread pudding casserole in a large baking dish, with sweet italian sausage, cubes of ciabatta bread and caramelized onions.
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5 from 8 votes

Savory Sausage and Onion Bread Pudding

This savory bread pudding will be your next favorite holiday staple, with Italian sausage, sweet caramelized onions and savory Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: savory bread pudding, savory sausage bread pudding
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 363kcal
Cost: $15

Equipment

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

Bread Pudding

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: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 657IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg