Mushroom Bread Pudding with Leeks & Goat Cheese
As much as I love traditional stuffing, and classic Thanksgiving foods in general, this savory bread pudding has become a recent favorite for me and my family. It’s rich and hearty, and scratches the same itch that stuffing does, but feels different and fresh. Adapted from an old Thomas Keller recipe, this bread pudding is super versatile; try it with different cheeses, vegetables, breads, or herbs. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the cheese, butter, or cream — it’s rich on purpose, so if you’re not looking to indulge I would skip this! Great as a side dish, or even as a main served along with a hearty salad of bitter greens.
As much as I love traditional stuffing, and classic Thanksgiving foods in general, this savory bread pudding has become a recent favorite for me and my family. It’s rich and hearty, and scratches the same itch that stuffing does, but feels different and fresh. Adapted from an old Thomas Keller recipe, this bread pudding is super versatile; try it with different cheeses, vegetables, breads, or herbs. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the cheese, butter, or cream — it’s rich on purpose, so if you’re not looking to indulge I would skip this! Great as a side dish, or even as a main served along with a hearty salad of bitter greens.
New American • Salads & Sides • Soy-Free · Nut-Free · Sesame-Free · Vegetarian
Colors:
Tastes:
🍋🧂🍬
Techniques:
🔥
Tested by 
•Cooked and tested by the Valentiful team
Rating:
Yield: 1 9"x13” casserole
Serves: 8 (1 cup)
Time: Active 45m · Inactive 1h 15m · Total 2h
Equipment: No equipment specified
Ingredients
10 cups Sourdough Bread, Challah, Brioche, or Milk Bread
1 lb Leek
8 oz Mushrooms (Lion’s Mane Mushrooms or Oyster Mushrooms) (roots removed and torn or roughly chopped)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Butter (Unsalted Butter) (divided)
4 sprigs Thyme
6 cups half and half (or 3 cups milk and 3 cups heavy cream)
3 Large Eggs
¼ cup Chives (divided)
8 oz Soft Cheeses (Chèvre), crumbled
Salt (Kosher Salt), to taste
Black Peppercorn, cracked, to taste
Sourcing Tips
- I love using a mix of speciality mushrooms from Hi-Fi Mycology for this dish, but if you cannot find locally cultivated mushrooms, a mix of creminis and shiitakes will be fine.
- This is a very versatile recipe; Feel free to use a different cheese, like aged cheddar or comte, or swap out different vegetables in place of the mushrooms, like chopped spinach, kale, or roasted cauliflower.
- I'm partial to goat cheese from Pure Luck, at the Sunday Mueller farmers market, and Mill-King for the cream.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Remove the crusts from the bread, then cut or tear into 1” chunks; once the oven has come to temp, toast the bread on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 10 minutes depending on your oven. Remove and set aside.
Remove any tough outer leaves, then slice into 1/4” rings, using only the light green portions. Wash the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating slightly and allowing any sand or sediment to sink to the bottom. Change out the water as needed until leeks are clean. Pat dry on a paper towel and set aside.
In a hot pan, add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Sauté the mushrooms to a nice golden brown. Season with some salt and pepper to taste, then remove from the pan.
Add another 1 Tbsp butter to the same pan and sauté the leeks with the thyme and a generous pinch of salt, until translucent and very fragrant. Discard the thyme sprigs, then combine with the mushrooms.
In a large mixing bowl, combine leeks, mushrooms and the toasted bread, and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, and half of the chives. Season with about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
Butter a 9x13 casserole dish or cast iron skillet, and set it on a sheet tray.
LAYER THE INGREDIENTS IN THE DISH: Start with 1–2 cups of custard, then add a layer of the bread-mushroom-leek mixture, and sprinkle with goat cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Gently press the mixture down between layers to help the bread absorb the custard.
Let rest for 10 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven again to 350 °F if you turned it off after toasting the bread.
Bake the bread pudding at 350 °F until the custard has set — it should be slightly puffed, jiggly in the center, and nicely golden on top — about 1 hour.
Top with the remaining minced chives and serve.
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Hot, Warm, Room Temp
Make ahead: This can absolutely be made ahead; let the bread pudding cool, then wrap with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days. To reheat, pop bread pudding into a 350 degree oven until hot throughout, removing the foil halfway through to brown the top.
Leftover Ideas: Save your leek tops in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for making stock. You can also bake the bread crust until fully dry and crisp, then crush into breadcrumbs.
Serve with: Champagne and Gamay are always welcomed at the Thanksgiving table.
Beverage: This bread pudding pairs perfectly with all of the usual suspects at the Thanksgiving table; cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and turkey.
Sourcing Tips
- I love using a mix of speciality mushrooms from Hi-Fi Mycology for this dish, but if you cannot find locally cultivated mushrooms, a mix of creminis and shiitakes will be fine.
- This is a very versatile recipe; Feel free to use a different cheese, like aged cheddar or comte, or swap out different vegetables in place of the mushrooms, like chopped spinach, kale, or roasted cauliflower.
- I'm partial to goat cheese from Pure Luck, at the Sunday Mueller farmers market, and Mill-King for the cream.
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Hot, Warm, Room Temp
Make ahead: This can absolutely be made ahead; let the bread pudding cool, then wrap with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days. To reheat, pop bread pudding into a 350 degree oven until hot throughout, removing the foil halfway through to brown the top.
Leftover Ideas: Save your leek tops in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for making stock. You can also bake the bread crust until fully dry and crisp, then crush into breadcrumbs.
Serve with: Champagne and Gamay are always welcomed at the Thanksgiving table.
Beverage: This bread pudding pairs perfectly with all of the usual suspects at the Thanksgiving table; cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and turkey.
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