In honor of my upcoming trip to Paris, I wanted to create a dish inspired by some of my favorite French flavors. This Savory Brie, Ham and Gruyère Bread Pudding is hearty, satisfying and delicious. It would be the perfect dish for a weekend breakfast or brunch, or even a quick weeknight meal. It is easy to assemble and you can even plan ahead and let the custard soak overnight. Then just bake it the day you plan on serving it. It’s that easy. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this dish and I really hope you’ll give it a try because you’re going to love it.
Spread one side of each slice of bread with softened butter. This give it flavor but also helps with the browning process later on.
In a large bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, crème fraîche and mustard until smooth. Add half of the gruyère, half of the scallions and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir until combined.
**Tip: If you don’t have or don’t want to use crème fraîche for whatever reason, you can use sour cream or sub it for heavy cream if you’d like!**
Place half of the buttered bread slices into the prepared baking sheet. Tuck in half of the ham slices and half of the brie. Pour half of the liquid mixture over the top.
**Note: Bonus points if you can find French ham, such as Jambon de Paris, for this recipe. If you can’t, regular deli ham will do.**
Then top with the remaining bread, ham, brie and liquid. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyère and set aside to soak for 1 hour.
**Note: You can do this at room temperature or in the fridge if you prefer. If you plan to make this ahead of time, you can leave it soaking in the fridge, covered, overnight and then just bake the next day!**
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until golden brown and slightly puffed, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
It’s a hearty dish thanks to the bread and all of the cheeses, so it would make for a great addition to a weekend breakfast or brunch spread, especially if you cut it into smaller pieces when serving.
If this is the main star of your meal, then I recommend serving it with a simple green salad on the side with a vinaigrette to lighten up the bread pudding. This would also be great with crispy bacon instead of ham if you prefer.
Keep this recipe in mind the next time you’re having friends or family over for brunch and are in need of a wow dish. This is that wow dish. Let me know what you think below and as always thank you so much for reading and following along!
Savory Savory Brie, Ham and Gruyère Bread Pudding
Equipment
- Large glass measuring cup
- Mixing Bowl
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette sliced into 1/2 inch slices
- 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons grainy or dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup grated gruyère cheese
- 4 scallions sliced
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 6 ounces brie cheese sliced
- 4 ounces sliced ham (Jambon de Paris) cut into strips
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with softened butter.
- In a large bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, crème fraîche and mustard until smooth. Add half of the gruyère, half of the scallions and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Place half of the buttered bread slices into the prepared baking sheet. Tuck in half of the ham slices and half of the brie. Pour half of the liquid mixture over the top. Then top with the remaining bread, ham, brie and liquid. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyère and set aside to soak for 1 hour. You can do this at room temperature or in the fridge if you prefer.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until golden brown and slightly puffed, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
so very creative, and great since I’ve been craving brie lately, gruyere is always welcome too! And as part of a savory bread pudding, so very nice, I’m impressed again, thank you!