This savory Instant Pot bread pudding combines toasted bread, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and Parmesan with a rich egg-and-cream custard. Think holiday stuffing flavors with the softer texture of bread pudding. This one belongs next to the turkey, not on the dessert table.
The bread gets toasted in the oven first. The pudding then cooks in a covered pan in the Instant Pot for 50 minutes at High Pressure, followed by a quick release. A short turn under the broiler is optional. Allow time for the toasting, vegetable prep, and pressure buildup too; 50 minutes is not the total recipe time.
Bread Pudding for Dinner? Trust Me.
The first time I told my family I was making a savory bread pudding, they looked at me like I had two heads. They just couldn't wrap their brains around the idea. But I tell you what... they sure did eat ALL of it! The best way I can describe it: it's like stuffing and bread pudding had a baby. All the flavors of holiday stuffing, with the texture of traditional bread pudding, rich and custardy-creamy. It works anywhere stuffing would, and it's rich enough that a small serving makes sense alongside the rest of the meal.
For a cornbread-based side instead, use my Instant Pot cornbread dressing or the sheet-pan Southern Cornbread Dressing. This recipe is about the custard, not trying to turn bread pudding into traditional dressing.
What You'll Need
White bread, olive oil, thyme, and garlic: Start with 8 ounces of bread, measured by weight. Cut it into 1-inch cubes, then toss with the oil and seasonings before toasting.
Mushrooms, onion, celery, and green bell pepper: These cook in the butter before going into the bread mixture. Give them time to soften and let their liquid evaporate.
Eggs and heavy cream: Four large eggs and 1¾ cups cream form the custard. The 1 teaspoon salt is divided: half goes into the vegetables and half into the custard, along with the black pepper.
Parsley and Parmesan: Mix the parsley with the toasted bread and vegetables. The grated Parmesan goes on top of the filled pan, not into the custard.
How Does the Pan Cook in the Instant Pot?
Use a 6-quart Instant Pot, a 7-inch pan, a 3-inch trivet, and foil. The bread pudding goes into the greased pan. Cover it with foil and set it on the trivet, above 1½ cups water in the cooker. That water makes steam; it does not go into the bread-and-custard mixture.
You'll also need a large baking sheet for the bread, a large mixing bowl, and a separate bowl and whisk for the custard. Use a pan approved for pressure cooking and, if you plan to brown the top, for the broiler as well.
How to Make Savory Instant Pot Bread Pudding
1. Toast the Seasoned Bread
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut off the bottom ends of the bread and save them for another use. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toss in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet. Toast until golden brown, about 10–20 minutes, depending on the bread. Return the toasted cubes to the same mixing bowl.
2. Cook Down the Vegetables
Select Sauté and melt 4 tablespoons butter in the Instant Pot. Add 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, ¾ cup diced onion, ¾ cup thinly sliced celery, ½ cup diced green bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Cook for about 10–15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and their liquid has evaporated. That's the point to look for, rather than stopping just because the timer says ten minutes.
3. Mix the Custard and Bread
While the vegetables cook, whisk 4 large eggs in a separate bowl. Add 1¾ cups heavy cream, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk again.
Add the cooked vegetables and 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley to the toasted bread. Mix, then pour in the custard and mix well so the bread and vegetables are evenly coated.
4. Fill the Pan and Pressure Cook
Add 1½ cups water to the Instant Pot and set the 3-inch trivet inside. Use Sauté to begin heating the water while you prepare the pan.
Coat a 7-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the bread pudding mixture to the pan, top with ¼ cup grated Parmesan, and cover with foil. Set the covered pan on the trivet.
Lock the lid and cook at High Pressure for 50 minutes. When the cooking cycle ends, quick release the pressure. Wait until the cooker is fully depressurized before opening the lid.
5. Finish and Serve
Carefully lift out the hot pan and remove the foil. Broiling is optional: for a toasted cheese topping, place the broiler-safe pan under the High broiler for a few minutes, watching it closely. Serve warm.
Storage and Reheating
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and use the bread pudding within 3–4 days.
For individual portions, reheat in the microwave under a microwave-safe cover. Check the center with a food thermometer; leftovers should reach 165°F. Use the temperature rather than a fixed reheating time, since the portion size and starting temperature will vary.
Serving It for the Holidays
Serve this warm alongside turkey or ham, with sautéed collard greens or another vegetable on the side. For a smaller turkey dinner, my Instant Pot turkey breast is another option, but plan to cook the two dishes separately if they share one cooker.
Use the Thanksgiving Game Plan to coordinate the rest of the meal. Remember to leave oven space for toasting the bread and, if you choose it, the quick broiler finish.
Made this recipe? Leave a star rating and tell me how it turned out.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Bread Pudding - Savory with Mushrooms and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water for the pressure cooker
- 8 oz. white bread
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 TBS butter
- 1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 8 oz. mushrooms sliced
- ¾ cup yellow onions diced
- ¾ cup celery thinly sliced
- ½ cup green bell peppers diced
- 1 tsp. sea salt divided
- 2 Tbsp. parsley finely chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (I typically try not to use the oven for Instant Pot recipes, but this is an exception.) Cut off bottom ends of bread. Discard or save for another use. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Add bread cubes to large mixing bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic to bowl. Toss to coat. Spread bread cubes out on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden brown. Could take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on the bread.
- Using sauté setting… melt butter in pot. Add mushrooms, onions, celery, bell peppers, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté until veggies are soft and all their juices evaporate, anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile… add eggs to a separate mixing bowl and whisk together. Then add heavy cream, ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper and whisk again.
- Return toasted bread to same bowl you used to toss them. Add sautéed veggies and parsley. Mix well. Pour custard into bowl with bread and veggies. Mix well.
- Add 1 ½ cups water to pot, along with 3-inch trivet. Turn on sauté setting to begin heating water.
- Spray 7-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour stuffing into prepared pan. Top with parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil and place on top of trivet. Lock lid and cook for 50 minutes at high pressure. Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure.
- Remove lid from pot and foil from pan. If you like, although not a must, place pan under high broiler for a few minutes to toast the cheese. Serve warm.
Julie
The recipe calls for a 3” trivet. I have the original metal trivet the Instant Pot.came with plus the red silicone sling trivet Ingot to lift out cheesecakes. Even with these stacked they only stand 1.75” high. Will this work or am I going to have problems? This will be the first time using the Fat Daddio’s 7”x3” removable bottom cake pan.
Gary White
That should work for you!
Micki
It’s probably a silly question but … I've read thru the whole recipe and the whole page - can’t find out how much butter you used.
Thanks for your help!
Gary White
Thank you for pointing out that butter is missing from the ingredient list! I will update the recipe card to include it. You need 4TBS, or half a stick of butter.
MaryAnn
Oh. My. God. I just love this Instant Pot Ultra. Just made a savory bread pudding and it looks and smells wonderful. Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I rarely do when I cook. I used shredded Parmesan as that's what I had, used Rosemary Sourdough bread instead of white, left out the garlic as I didnt have any, and I had an 8 inch pan, not 7, but it came out great.
Update: It tastes even better than it looks 😉 Great recipe, thanks!
Tara
Would boosting the amount of bread used get it closer to stuffing without muting the seasonings? This recipe intrigued me and I'm a huge fan of stuffing. Not so much for bread pudding..
MaryAnn
Oh. My. God. I just love this Instant Pot Ultra. Just made a savory bread pudding and it looks and smells wonderful. Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I rarely do when I cook. I used shredded Parmesan as that's what I had, used Rosemary Sourdough bread instead of white, left out the garlic as I didnt have any, and I had an 8 inch pan, not 7, but it came out great.
Update: It tastes even better than it looks 😉
Corrie
Thank you! I was wondering if an 8 inch pan would work!
Gary White
So sorry for the very delayed response. Yes, that should work just fine.
Marla
I want to make this for a friend but i only have a 6" pan (and 8", 9"). Do you know how much I would have to adjust the time?
Gary
My best guess is to increase the cook time 10 minutes for a 6-inch pan. I'd probably keep it the same for the 8 or 9 though.
Elisabeth
Absolutely loved it!!!!!!