Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

From the kitchen of Carly

Custardy bread cubes studded with crispy bacon, wilted peppery arugula, and melted Gruyère bake into a savory pudding that works for brunch or dinner. Rich, satisfying, and completely addictive.

Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

Bread pudding that tastes like a warm, custardy bacon cheeseburger, built on crisp-edged toast soaked in cream and eggs. The arugula wilts into peppery submission while Gruyère melts into every crevice. It's dinner, not dessert, and it arrives golden and tender in forty minutes flat.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 cupwhole milk
  • 1/2 cupheavy cream
  • 5 largeeggs
  • 6bacon slices
  • 1 largeshallot, finely chopped
  • 3garlic cloves, chopped
  • 7 ozbaby arugula or baby spinach
  • 6 cupcubed country-style bread
  • 5 1/2 ozGruyère cheese
  • 1 1/2 cupcoarsely grated

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish and set it aside.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk the milk, cream, and eggs together with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until smooth.

  3. Lay the bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp. Lift it out with tongs onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then coarsely crumble it.

  4. Tip off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left in the skillet. Crank the heat to medium-high, add the shallot and garlic, and stir constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Add the arugula in batches, stirring as each handful wilts down.

  5. Fold the arugula mixture, crumbled bacon, bread cubes, and Gruyère into the custard until everything is well coated. Scrape it all into the prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Pull off the foil and continue baking until the top is golden in spots, about 10 minutes more.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Crisp the bacon fully and render it in the skillet before the greens go in, so the fat seasons the shallot and garlic properly. Don't skip this step or you lose the whole savory character.
  • Cube bread at least a day ahead and leave it out uncovered to dry out slightly. Soft bread will turn to mush instead of absorbing the custard evenly.
  • Don't overbake. Pull it from the oven the moment the top shows golden spots. The carryover heat will continue to set the custard, and a drier crumb ruins the whole thing.

Variations

  • Swap the arugula for fresh spinach or kale if you prefer milder greens and a more traditional savory bread pudding.
  • Skip the bacon and add 3/4 cup diced mushrooms cooked down in that reserved tablespoon of fat for a vegetarian version with the same umami depth.
  • Use sharp cheddar or aged Comté instead of Gruyère if that's what you have, keeping the amount the same.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 3 days and reheat gently in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes. Freezing is not recommended, as the custardy texture breaks down on thaw.