Mushroom and Gruyère Bread Pudding | Ina Garten

The inspiration comes from sourdough bread crumbs sold by my favorite artisan bakery, Liv Breads. As in all good stuffing, it’s built on a good base. Next is to select which fresh ingredients go into the bread pudding. Ina Garten’s recipe of mushroom and gruyère bread pudding appeals to me for its simplicity — ten ingredients or less. Have you seen the line at the grocery store? We don’t need more ingredients, especially unfamiliar and lesser-used ingredients that take up space in the pantry. Looks like cremini mushroom and gruyère are the only items I need to shop for.

Ina Garten recipe calls for Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned cubed stuffing mix, but I have a better source from my favorite bakery which always delivers the goods. Otherwise, choose bread crumbs which are cubed to save some prep time. Half-inch cubes seem to work best for size, structure and texture for optimal hydration. If you want to devise your own, make sure the crumbs are fully dried out in the oven.

I season the crumbs with lots of herbs de Provence using freshly harvested lavender. What can be better? Thanksgiving is about gratitude and giving thanks. I have a nice supply of lavender from the bounty of the summer garden. Every time I smell lavender, my heart swells with pleasure and joy.

Sauté onion and mushroom over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to brown. Deglaze with sherry and add the minced fresh rosemary. There are other choices for herbs, if you like. Oregano, marjoram, thyme or tarragon comes to mind. Lastly, combine the mushroom mix with gruyère and the bread stuffing. Pour the custard over the stuffing mixture. Then bake until the top is golden brown.

This bread pudding stands on its own; the turkey is optional. What I like best about the dish, besides the depth of flavor and the creamy texture, is the light and crunchy bites from the slightly burnt crumbs all over the top. With a salad, this side can easily become the main course for a light meal.

Print Recipe

Mushroom and Gruyère Bread Pudding

By Ina Garten – Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ina Garten uses a Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned cubed stuffing mix together with other fresh ingredients and herbs. I use fresh crumbs from my favorite bakery.

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps sliced ¼-inch thick
• ¼ cup cream sherry (Harvey’s Bristol Cream is good here)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 (12-ounce) bag herb-seasoned cubed stuffing mix (about 7 cups), such as Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned
• 3 cups grated Gruyère (8 to 10 ounces), divided
• 5 extra-large eggs
• 2¼ cups half-and-half
• 1¼ cups chicken stock (I used College Inn)
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- by 13- by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

2

PREARE THE MUSHROOM MIX: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a medium (10-inch) sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to brown. Add the sherry and rosemary and simmer for 2 minutes.

3

COMBINE THE STUFFING AND GRUYERE: Meanwhile, put the stuffing mix into a very large bowl. Stir in the mushroom mixture and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese.

4

ADD THE CUSTARD: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, chicken stock, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour the custard mixture over the stuffing mixture and stir well. Set aside for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid. Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the remaining cup of cheese.

5

BAKE: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is set in the middle. Serve hot.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023558-mushroom-and-gruyere-bread-pudding