This Savory Bread Pudding recipe is written by me on behalf of The Hillshire Brands Company. All opinions are entirely my own. Happy Holidays!
This holiday season is the first in our new home and, I have to say, it’s been more than I could have ever hoped for. Despite being half the size of our last house, our California home is filled with all the holiday sights, sounds and smell that our family could possible need to make the season wonderful.
The only thing that could take our holiday from good to great is the arrival of our family on Christmas day. In previous years, I hosted Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) because we lived in another state from our Cuban family. Now that things are reversed and we can attend Noche Buena at my grandmother’s, I will be hosting Christmas Brunch for the very first time. I’m super excited and have been working on our menu for weeks – including this make-ahead, Savory Bread Pudding with Kale and Sausage.
Bread pudding is traditionally a sweet dessert, but this savory twist (technically called strata) is a welcome addition to my salt-obsessed, Cuban palette. All the ingredients were easy to find at Walmart, which is essential for a busy mom. And since this recipe is loaded with delicious cheese, Walmart’s Great Value cheeses were the natural choice.
But the best part of this bread pudding is the Jimmy Dean® Pork Sausage. You can find this bulk sausage in the refrigerated section at your local Walmart and, though they come in various yummy flavors that we love, I opted to use Jimmy Dean’s regular, sweet variety for this recipe.
Savory Bread Pudding Recipe with Kale and Sausage
In addition to being a great holiday recipe, bread puddings can also be made ahead and are filled with easy to find ingredients – you might even have everything on hand! Here’s what you need…
– 1 loaf of day old, French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
(I used Walmart’s $1 Marketside loaf and used the tip below)
– 1 tablespoon butter
– 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Regular Pork Sausage
– 10 ounces frozen, chopped kale
– 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
– 3 ounces Parmesan Blend cheese
– 6 eggs
– 2 cups milk (I used low fat)
– ½ onion, chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– pinch of nutmeg
– salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Savory Bread Pudding
In a frying pan, melt butter and sauté chopped onion over low heat until translucent. You don’t want to rush this step, I promise! Once cooked, raise heat to medium and add the sausage, crumbling into pieces using a wooden spoon as you stir. Add chopped garlic. Once the sausage is mostly cooked through, add the kale and allow most the liquid to cook out. Add salt and pepper as desired. Turn off heat and allow sausage and kale mixture to cool slightly. In a bowl, combine sausage mixture with bread cubes.
While the sausage and bread incorporate, combine eggs, milk and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a buttered baking dish, add half the bread and sausage mixture. Top with a layer of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Add another layer of bread and finally a top layer of cheese. At this point, the bread pudding can be frozen until you are read to cook.
Drizzle the egg mixture throughout the bread and sausage mixture evenly. Now set the dish aside for at least 30 minutes, but overnight works too, giving the bread time to soak up all the yummy flavors of the sausage and kale.
Finally, in a 350 degree oven, cook the bread pudding for 45 minutes to an hour or until a fork comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Cover with foil if needed.
Tip: If your bread was freshly made that day, chop into cubes and, on a buttered baking dish, spread in a single layer and toast in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cubes are crisp but not burnt.
For me, creating a holiday menu that fills your family with the joy of the season is what takes the memories from good to great. Recipes that are filling, indulgent and flavorful set the tone of meaningful experience that I hope my kids will remember for years to come.
To create your holiday menu and explore new ingredients and flavors, check out Joy To The Meal. They have lots of great inspiration! Also check out #Joy2theMeal on social media for more fun ideas and recipes.
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