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Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding
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A holiday favorite, this make-ahead breakfast casserole brimming with sausage and sharp cheddar is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Bread pudding is usually sweet, but it can be made savory too. This version, brimming with sweet pork sausage and sharp cheddar, is deeply flavored with a crisp, golden crust and tender, creamy interior. I love it for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time and feeds a crowd.
The recipe was given to me by one of my oldest and closest friends, Kelly Santoro. She got it from her friend Corey, who got it from his mother, who in turn got it from an old spiral-bound fundraising cookbook. Such is the path of a good recipe!
What you’ll need to make sausage and cheddar bread pudding
As you can see, I use plain ol’ white sandwich bread — there’s no need for anything fancy here. As for the sausage, some grocers sell sausage meat in bulk or out of the casings (as shown above). This makes life easier but if you can’t find it, just remove the casings. The best way is to cut the casings with kitchen shears and peel them away from the meat. This is much easier than trying to squeeze the meat out.
How to make it
Begin by cutting the crusts off the bread.
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
Brown the sausage in a large pan.
As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into small clumps.
Transfer the browned sausage to a large bowl, then cook the onions in the same pan until they’re soft and translucent.
Grate your cheddar. I think it’s easiest to do it in the food processor but you can use a hand-held grater as well.
Combine the bread, sausage, onions, cheddar and fresh parsley in a large bowl.
Then transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish.
Make the custard by whisking together the eggs, salt, pepper, and half-and-half.
Then pour the custard evenly over the bread mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight. When you’re ready to serve, bake in a 350-degree oven for about an hour, until puffed, golden and crisp on top.
Serve hot and enjoy!
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Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding
A holiday favorite, this make-ahead breakfast casserole brimming with sausage and sharp cheddar is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound sweet or spicy pork sausage (casings removed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 loaf (18 slices) white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2½ cups (a little over ½ pound) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- Scant teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break the meat into small clumps, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then add the onions to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook the onions, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the onions to the mixing bowl with the sausage, along with the bread cubes, grated cheese and parsley. Toss well, then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture. Cover tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about one hour, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.
- Note: The cook time is based on cooking the bread pudding directly out of the refrigerator. If it's left to sit out at room temperature before baking, check for doneness after 45 minutes.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 669
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 1098 mg
- Cholesterol: 251 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can this be frozen ahead of time?
Hi Kate, I’ve never tried freezing this dish, and not sure how well it would freeze with the eggs and dairy. Sorry!
This dish is regular in my freezer :))
Made this for the first time (I am very brave, but trust your recipes) for a potluck for our bridge group. As I moved through the room visiting the comments were: “Did you try this?? Who made it? It’s DELICIOUS!” and so on with variations. The cassserole dish was completely empty in short order. Like the others who have left rave reviews, I agree this is a keeper. The worst part is that because of my calorie counting I only tasted a small spoonful of it. Your recipes are the best on the net and my “go-to” site when I want to try something new. Thanks so much! Sigrid Price, Napa, CA
Stop what you’re doing and make this-IMMEDIATELY!! This is the best strata ever! My family loves it every time I make it. Do yourself a favor and double it for leftovers-you’ll thank me later! Jenn-I love that I can trust that every recipe you publish is fabulous! You’re my go to for new, interesting recipes!
I made this for my mom’s bridge group luncheon of eight women, substituting turkey sausage for the pork. They all raved about it! It was great to be able to make ahead, and then have her house smelling so wonderful as it was cooking in the oven as they arrived. As you suggested to one commenter, I made the strawberry and orange salad as a side dish – also a big hit! Perfect combo.
I trust every recipe you provide. I don’t think I’ve ever had a miss. Well done!
I substituted pork sausage for ground beef. My 3,5 (veeery picky) and 2-year-old DEVOURED their plates (hurraaaay). Is there a way to make it taste more like the original recipe? What seasonings would you recommend? Sould I add some pancetta? Thank you:)
So glad they enjoyed it, Marijeta! I’m not sure what you mean by the original recipe, but I’m sure a little pancetta would be delicious and you could always use fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary.
I’m sorry I didn’t make my question clear enough. When I said “original recipe” it meant the recipe how you posted it. Since I substitute ground beef for sausage it is a bit healthier but it’s definitely not tastier. I’m curious is there a way to make ground meat taste more like sausage 😀
Ahh- got it! Yes, sausage does have a lot more flavor – Some spices I would add to ground beef to more closely mimic sausage — a bit of oregano, Italian seasoning, whole or ground fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Hope that helps!
This recipe is outstanding – perfect for a breakfast gathering! I have made this multiple times to take to school for our staff, and it is always a hit. I am a faithful fan of Jen’s awesome recipes!
This delicious bread pudding is loaded with flavor! I made it for New Year’s Day brunch and all were delighted. I try to eat healthy and this is just a bit more cheesy creamy than I normally cook but worth the splurge for the holiday. It is very satisfying and easy to make.
Hi Jenn
This sounds delicious and would love to make it. Is there a way you could send me the ingredients for two? Thanks your recipes are great, appreciate any help you can give me.
Hi Mary, So glad you like the recipes. If you want to make this to serve two, Math is not my strong suit, but I’d cut all the ingredients by 2/3. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Made some changes so I didn’t want to rate this the 5 stars it probably deserves. I halved the recipe to make in 8×8 pan.
Used Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles, added chopped red & green pepper with the onion, but forgot to saute before adding to the bread cubes (oops – but turned out fine). Also added about 1/2-1tsp of ground mustard.
My bread seemed a little dry after I added the egg mix, even though I stirred it well, so I added another egg and some more 1/2 and 1/2. MISTAKE!
Took almost 2 hours of baking to absorb all the liquid. Next time, rather than pouring the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, I’ll mix bread, vegs, & egg mix in a bowl to make sure all the bread is absorbing the egg mix.
All of that said, it was delicious and is added to my favorites!
Dry Mustard powder is key !
Made this for Christmas breakfast, after having transported the dry and wet mixes to the house I’m staying at. Verdict: request to make this a Christmas tradition! Excellent and easy.
Hi I have left over raw breakfast sausage from Thanksgiving stuffing recipes. Can I use it for baked ziti?.
Sure, Autumn, that should work. Enjoy!
Could you add sautéed mushrooms? Thanks!
Hi Barbara, I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like a good addition. Enjoy!
Can you recommend a salad or something green to add to this dish for brunch? I am dying to make this for brunch, but my husband says we need something “green” to offset all of the starch I am serving..
Hi, You could use a fruit salad which would be nice for brunch. This one would work nicely. Or if the peaches and berries still look good near you, this would be a good option. For something green, this would work well. Hope that helps!
Can I use 2 percent milk instead of half and half?
Hi Lisa, If you’d like to go with milk, I’d recommend whole milk. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much! I ended up making a spinach and arugula salad with fennel, orange and grapefruit slices with balsamic dressing. The bread pudding was FANTASTIC!! I cut the recipe in half as we were 4 people. Not a single piece leftover! Looking forward to the holidays for an excuse to make again (and again!) and no halving! Just perfect, thanks again.
What size pan should I use?
Hi Diane, You’ll need a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for your recipes. Making this for Valentines Day brunch
Hi Jenn, I’ve made this dish before and it was a hit!
If I bake it the night before (I need to transport it somewhere else) at what temperature do you recommend that I reheat it? Thank you.
Hi Miranda, Glad you like it! I’d reheat it at 325 degrees. I’d keep it covered with foil and then remove the foil for the last few minutes to crisp up the top. Hope that helps!
Would this work with pumpernickel and white bread mixed together?
Sure, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Bought your cookbook for myself for Mother’s Day (“officially” from my family to me – I’m no rookie – this is how you get what you want), and prepped this yesterday for my Mother’s Day brunch with my husband and 21-year-old twins today. It was AWESOME! So delicious! I’ve made versions of this over the years, but everyone raved and said this recipe is the best one. We all thank you very much! Happy Mother’s Day to YOU!
Glad you “received” the Mother’s day gift you wanted! 🙂 Also nice to hear that you enjoyed the bread pudding. Hope you had a great Mother’s day!
Hello! This sounds delicious. My question is can you make this and refrigerate overnight, & bake in the morning? I would like to make this for a breakfast to share with my co-workers, however I have to be at work at 7am and wouldn’t want to get up extra early to make it but don’t mind getting up early to just throw it in the oven! Thanks!
Yes, that’s perfectly fine — hope your co-workers enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s quickly become my family’s go-to holiday or special event breakfast. So simple, so easy to prep, and so flavorful. Only changes I make are occasionally reducing the amount of sausage and replacing what I took out with bacon, or sometimes I’ll add sauteed red and green bell peppers. But it is truly perfect as is.
Another success story, Jenn! Thank you, thank you! This made a beautiful and delicious cornerstone to our, socially distanced, Christmas Eve brunch with my mum. It certainly was a bonus, too, in that the dish could be prepared the afternoon before, and then simply popped in a hot oven. Thank you for recipes that allow us to cook and share with joy!
As a recovering vegetarian, I don’t even like Italian sausage but I loved this recipe. Made it for Christmas brunch. Will make it again and won’t change a thing. Used spicy Italian sausage. The kids all had seconds and I’m pretty sure it’s going into the rotation for the next time we’re all together.
I made this for a breakfast gathering, and it smelled so wonderful in the car. It did not disappoint when I got to try it. My husband was so sad that I didn’t bring anything home for him, but I will definitely make this again for an upcoming breakfast this weekend!
I would like to make this for Christmas morning, but there’s only 2 of us. How much should I reduce ingredients by to make it in an 8×8 pan. Thanks
Hi Ellen, I’d cut the recipe in half. Happy holidays!
Thanks for such a speedy reply!! Have a great holiday season!E
Hi Jenn, any chance unseasoned white bread stuffing cubes could be used in place of the bread called for in this recipe? If so, how many ounces should be used? I have a full bag left from Thanksgiving and am trying to use it up. Thank you for your help with this question!
Sure, Staci, I think that should work (and you’ll need 16 ounces). Please LMK how it turns out with stuffing cubes!
Family really enjoyed breakfast casserole. My son was asking if we could add shredded or diced potatoes? I was thinking a half bag. If possible would we have to increase the eggs and half n half?
Or should we just cook potatoes on the stove top and serve on the side?
Thanks again for all the wonderful dishes.
Scott
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work to add some potatoes. For the amount you want to use, I’d add another egg and an additional 1/4 cup half and half (and I’d use a full teaspoon of salt). Enjoy!
I absolutely loved all of your recipes. What are your thoughts on freezing this dish?
Hi Sasha, I haven’t tried freezing this dish, and not certain how well it would freeze with the eggs and dairy. Sorry!
Yes, it freezes well. I prepare the recipe, including adding the egg mixture, wrap in foil and freeze. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to recipe. This dish has made a lovely gift when delivered in an aluminum pan for a family to bake up the following morning. It’s always a hit! Thank you Jen.
Hi Jen, I use many of your recipes and have your cookbook – seriously in love with everything I have made, as is my family! A quick question – if I omit the cheese and add savory fresh herbs, could I use this as the main “stuffing” dish for the turkey? I like a bread pudding consistency instead of dry, so I think it would work but wanted your professional opinion:) Thank you!
So glad you like the recipes! I do think you could get away with what you’re suggesting here. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
can you make this with sourdough?
Sure – hope you enjoy!
This looks delicious! I’d like to make this and the spinach/cheese strata at the same time. Do you have a suggestion for baking time and temperature?
Hi Alice, I’d bake them both at 325°. The bread pudding will just take a few minutes longer. I’d start with at least 5 additional minutes. Hope you enjoy both!
I am hesitant to review the recipe because I did not cook it exactly as written. I used the recipe more as a template. I had a loaf of Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread that I had made that was languishing in the freezer. I cut it up, crust and all. Because of the rather tough crust on my bread, I increased the liquid by 2 more eggs and one more cup of milk. I was a an ounce shy on the cheddar, so I made up the difference with Asiago. It turned out great! This is a very forgiving recipe. Within limits, you can tinker with the flavors, the breads, and the cheeses. Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding will make a great breakfast dish for weekends when we have house guests!
I made this with a loaf of white gluten free bread from Trader Joes, and just to make it a little easier on myself, I did not cut the crusts off. I simply cubed the bread. I also made a smaller batch of this with no meat for my vegetarian daughter, but added red chili peppers for the spice that I feel like you would miss by not using spicy sausage. Both were outstanding!!
Hi Jenn,
Is this bread pudding freezable? Thanks!
Hi Jami, I haven’t tried freezing this dish, and not certain how well it would freeze with the eggs and dairy. You can, however, prepare it a few days ahead, refrigerate, and bake before serving.
We made this recipe last night with a few changes as we like more flavor than just the ingredients listed. We used french bread (didn’t cut off the crusts), added chopped bell pepper and sliced baby portabello mushrooms and sauteed along with the onions. Also added about 7oz chopped green chilies, rosemary, thyme and granulated garlic, whole milk (instead of half and half), and mexican blend cheese. We didn’t wait to cook…just mixed all and put in 9×13 dish and cooked. It turned out great! Used to live in New Orleans and Lafayette, LA ( now live in Colorado) and have made lots of different bread puddings over the last 30 years. You may put in the refrigerator prior to cooking for convenience, but really not necessary. 4 stars for original but with our additions would give a 5 star….have to rate the original. We like a bit more flavor and the chilies were added due to our new cuisine here in Colorado were we roast green chilies and peel skins off, then put in freezer for use in recipes like chili rellenos and chicken tortilla casserole, etc.
I have been making these egg casseroles for years. This one is, by far, the best! I made it for our Mother’s Day brunch. My family voted this to be their new favorite. Thanks for recipes I know I can count on! And ~ Happy Mother’s Day!!
I followed this recipe to the T! It looked so delicious and smelled so wonderful. I was so looking forward to sharing it with my family in the morning. I refrigerated it overnight as instructed and try to bake it off the next morning! To my dismay about 20 minutes into cooking it the casserole dish cracked! The dish was ruined!! Not only had I wasted all of that food but I had nothing to serve my family for breakfast as I had used all the breakfast ingredients in this casserole. I was later told that you can’t put an ice cold glass casserole dish into a hot oven??? Why would someone that had gone to culinary school, written cookbooks and now posts recipes on the internet not mentioned this important detail??
Hi Joseph, I’m so sorry you had a problem with your casserole dish cracking. I’ve done it a zillion times and never had a problem with it, but I know that it had to be disappointing not only to not have breakfast for your family but also have a cracked dish — I’m sorry!
Pyrex or Corelle dish would be fine. Maybe yours was a cheaper type of casserole dish?
Hi Jenn!
This looks delicious! I was wondering if I could sub potatoes for some of the bread?? Would cook time change at all?
Thank you!!
If they were cooked, diced potatoes, I think it would work with no modifications.
Dear Jen,
I have the recipe sitting in the fridge now for tomorrow. I don’t need to wait to give it 5 stars, I already know it will be amazing.
But that’s not why I’m writing. I just needed to write to say that if you made a recipe app, I’d be the first to download it (says anyone who knows who you are), and it would make a killing.
Xo,
Bri
😊
I’ll strongly second this. A OUAC recipe app would be killer. I’d pay a one-time purchase up to $5 for the convenience of not having to print out your amazing recipes from my laptop to take to the kitchen while cooking. The interface has to be quick and easy though.
Seriously think about it Jenn!
Good to know! I will add it to my list of potential enhancements to the blog. Keep in mind though that my website is mobile-friendly which makes it very easy to view/use regardless of what device you’re viewing it on.
I had some crusty rosemary garlic bread and a little whole wheat sandwich bread that I needed to use up so I did a search on savory bread pudding. Although I usually try to follow a recipe the first time I make it, I did the search with the intent of using up the ingredients that I had on hand. I didn’t measure the bread as I wanted to use it all up, I had spicy italian sausage and extra sharp cheddar cheese. I did 1 1/2 the amount of egg/half-n-half mixture because the crusty bread was so much more dense than a regular sandwich bread. Also, my pan was a little deeper so I baked it until a knife came out clean.
This recipe is a great basic recipe that accepts all kinds of tweaks and substitutions. I will have to try it as written, but anyone wondering if you can use different ingredients, the answer is yes. Thank you for the recipe!
Can I bake this in a disposable baking pan for easy travel?
Sure. Enjoy!
Could you use different bread? How much bread is used?
Sure, Carrie. And I’ve never measured the bread, but I suspect it should about be 10 – 12 cups. Hope you enjoy!
Do you have to use fresh grated cheese or does the shredded prepackaged work? Thanks!
Hi Jen, I prefer freshly grated cheese because packaged cheeses contain additives to keep the cheese from getting clumpy. That said, you’ll still get a good finished dish if you use pre-grated cheese. Hope that helps!
This was AMAZING! I got so many compliments. I did use the prepackaged shredded cheese and it turned out great! Definitely a keeper! Thanks so much!!
Most grocery stores will shred cheeses from the deli counter for you. No work for you and none of that additive-laced pre-shredded junk!
Thanks for the tip, Lynn!
This was excellent. Whole family loved it!! So easy to make.
I did add extra bread that needed to be used up, plus extra Gouda cheese and red pepper flakes and it was really good! Definitely making this again.
Any reason why this couldn’t be made with gluten free bread?
Bethany, It’s perfectly fine to make this with gluten-free bread – enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jen,
This recipe sounds wonderful. Do you think this could be “Christmasified” by omitting the cheese and adding stuffing spices – sage, thyme, rosemary? I’d love to try doing this but not if the recipe won’t work with the changes.
Hi Pamela, what you’re describing sounds a lot like one of my stuffing recipes. Check this out and see if it fits the bill.