Savory Thanksgiving Bread Pudding is a Flavorful New Side Dish!
I have a deep and abiding love for classic Thanksgiving dishes. My menu has held the same headliners for years. A beautifully roasted turkey? Of course. A delicious sweet potato casserole? All planned out. But this year, the row of butternut squash in the supermarket caught my eye, and I suddenly felt the need to do something different. Following my love of combining traditional ingredients with unusual flavor accents, a super-easy new holiday side dish was born! Brown sugar & five-spice roasted butternut squash is blended into a creamy custard with milk and eggs. Layered challah, juicy apples, dried cherries, and a touch of rosemary, all covered with rich custard makes this The Best Sweet and Savory Thanksgiving Bread Pudding!
How did Bread Pudding Originate?
Have you heard the phrase, “waste not, want not.“? Bread pudding was a frugal way to bring new life to stale loaves in the pantry, creating a flavorful dish with limited ingredients! Historians can trace back the first references of bread puddings to 11th and 12th century Europe, where recipes were based off of humble ingredients like bread, eggs, milk, and herbs. Bread puddings gained popularity as a dessert dish in the 1800’s, with the additions of dried fruits, vanilla, and fragrant spices such as cinnamon & nutmeg. Warm and rich from the creamy custard, this sweet & savory 5 spice butternut squash bread pudding is a brilliant menu choice for the holidays!
What do I need to make this holiday apple & butternut squash bread pudding?
- Challah or brioche
- 1 small to medium butternut squash
- 1 gala or pink lady apple
- dried cherries
- rosemary
- Chinese 5 spice
- cinnamon
- sugar
- brown sugar
- butter
- eggs
- milk
Why Challah Bread?
Bread puddings need a sturdy, yet tender base. The bread plays an important part by soaking up all of the flavors from the spiced custard. Eggy, dense, and toothsome, challah isn’t just for your Thanksgiving stuffing recipes! This traditionally Jewish bread creates a lovely texture when baked up! Soaking in just enough of the brown sugar roasted butternut squash custard, the edges crisp up in the oven, while maintaining a gorgeous, velvety interior. If you can’t find any challah bread at your grocery store, don’t fret! Any egg based bread (such as a brioche) will work perfectly as well! This savory butternut squash bread pudding isn’t fussy!
What can I Substitute for Chinese 5 Spice Powder?
Fragrant, slightly spicy, with a “can’t quite put a finger on it”, familiarity, Chinese 5 Spice Powder is a perfect match with sweet vegetables like fall squash. This lovely spice blend is created by mixing fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. But, what if you don’t have a jar handy in your cupboards? You can use a couple of substitutions in a pinch!
Graram Masala has a similar flavor profile and can easily be used in this recipe instead. Add a bit more of star anise to better match the flavors. Mixing a combination of ground fennel and ground Sichuan peppercorns, you can also replicate the mix of sweet, spicy, and bitter notes of the original. You can also whip up a homemade 5 spice powder here, from the base spices in your spice rack, to add to this butternut squash bread pudding recipe.
Can this Sweet & Savory Thanksgiving Bread Pudding Recipe be Made Ahead of Time?
This is one of those 5 Spice recipe ideas that’s perfect for preparing ahead of time! You can make as directed up to 2 days in advance, and then store covered in the refrigerator after cooling. Cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 325F, for 30 minutes, or until the center is hot.
This savory baked apple & squash side dish recipe can also be baked in individual ramekins, in addition to a larger casserole dish. Just watch the bake time, as the smaller portions will cook a little bit faster. A helpful tip to tell if your bread pudding is cooked through, is to check if the baked custard is pulling away from the edges of the baking vessels and the centers are just set.
Looking for More Amazing Bread Based Recipes?
Sweet & Savory Butternut Squash Thanksgiving Bread Pudding
1 small to medium butternut squash
1/2 stick of salted butter, divided into 4 tablespoon cubes
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice, divided
2 cups + 1/2 cup milk, divided
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
6 cups of cubed challah bread (about half a loaf)
1 gala or pink lady apple
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To Make the Squash
Preheat your oven to 375F.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and reserve.
Slice the butternut squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds & stringy part of the flesh with a large spoon.
Place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl.
Combine the 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice, and 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, with a generous pinch of kosher salt & pepper in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine.
Using a small pastry brush, apply the melted butter to the squash halves and sprinkle the brown sugar/spice mix evenly on top. Try to cover as much of the squash as you can.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily into the cooked squash.
After cooking, remove from the oven and let the butternut squash cool for 10 minutes (Keep your oven on.)
To Make the Custard
Using a large saucepan, combine the 2 cups of milk with the 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice powder, and a pinch of kosher salt & pepper. Stir.
Next, add 3 tablespoons of cold butter to the milk and place the pot on medium heat.
Slowly warm until the butter has just melted, while stirring occasionally, then Remove from the heat.
Fork whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then whisk into the slightly cooled milk mixture. Reserve.
After the squash has cooled, scoop out the cooked flesh into a blender and add the reserved 1/2 cup of milk.
Blend until smooth. If you need more liquid to create a smoother puree consistency, add a bit of the custard mixture to the blender.
Add the blended squash to the pot containing the custard mix. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Reserve.
To Assemble
Butter a large casserole dish, or several ramekins, if you are making individual portions.
Peel and core your apple. Then, thinly slice and Reserve.
Roughly cube or hand tear your challah bread, measuring about 6 cups. Reserve.
Now, we will begin to layer our ingredients; spread several slices of apple on the bottom of your dish as the base, then layer some of the cubed bread, and a sprinkle of the dried cherries. Repeat the layers until your vessel is full. End with a bread layer on top.
Sprinkle on the roughly chopped rosemary.
Next, gently ladle the butternut squash custard over the bread mixture, (or portion it evenly between your ramekins if you are choosing to serve individual portions). You want to keep adding the custard liquid until it comes up to 3/4 of the container height.
Gently press the bread cubes down into the custard to make sure they are well coated.
Let sit for 5 minutes, and then transfer to the hot oven.
Once in the oven, lower the temperature to 350F.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the custard is just set and pulling away from the edges of the dish.
Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
The Best Sweet & Savory Thanksgiving Bread Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large casserole dish or several ramekins
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium butternut squash
- 1/2 stick of salted butter divided into 4 tablespoon cubes
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice divided
- 2 cups + 1/2 cup milk divided
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 cups of cubed challah bread about half a loaf
- 1 gala or pink lady apple
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary roughly chopped
Instructions
To Make the Squash
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and reserve.
- Slice the butternut squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds & stringy part of the flesh with a large spoon.
- Place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl.
- Combine the 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice, and 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, with a generous pinch of kosher salt & pepper in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine.
- Using a small pastry brush, apply the melted butter to the squash halves and sprinkle the brown sugar/spice mix evenly on top. Try to cover as much of the squash as you can.
- Place the baking sheet on the middle rack in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily into the cooked squash.
- After cooking, remove from the oven and let the butternut squash cool for 10 minutes (Keep your oven on.)
To Make the Custard
- Using a large saucepan, combine the 2 cups of milk with the 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice powder, and a pinch of kosher salt & pepper. Stir.
- Next, add 3 tablespoons of cold butter to the milk and place the pot on medium heat.
- Slowly warm until the butter has just melted, while stirring occasionally, then Remove from the heat.
- Fork whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then whisk into the slightly cooled milk mixture. Reserve.
- After the squash has cooled, scoop out the cooked flesh into a blender and add the reserved 1/2 cup of milk.
- Blend until smooth. If you need more liquid to create a smoother puree consistency, add a bit of the custard mixture to the blender.
- Add the blended squash to the pot containing the custard mix. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Reserve.
To Assemble
- Butter a large casserole dish, or several ramekins, if you are making individual portions.
- Peel and core your apple. Then, thinly slice and Reserve.
- Roughly cube or hand tear your challah bread, measuring about 6 cups. Reserve.
- Now, we will begin to layer our ingredients; spread several slices of apple on the bottom of your dish as the base, then layer some of the cubed bread, and a sprinkle of the dried cherries. Repeat the layers until your vessel is full. End with a bread layer on top.
- Sprinkle on the roughly chopped rosemary.
- Next, gently ladle the butternut squash custard over the bread mixture, (or portion it evenly between your ramekins if you are choosing to serve individual portions). You want to keep adding the custard liquid until it comes up to 3/4 of the container height.
- Gently press the bread cubes down into the custard to make sure they are well coated.
- Let sit for 5 minutes, and then transfer to the hot oven.
- Once in the oven, lower the temperature to 350F.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the custard is just set and pulling away from the edges of the dish.
- Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you can’t find challah bread at the store, brioche or any eggy bread works for this recipe.
- You can substitute dried cranberries or even raisins, for the dried cherries. Any dried fruit that is both sweet and tart can be used in this recipe.
- This recipe can be made ahead of time!
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