My Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions is a delicious, savory dish that will make a great addition to your holiday table. It's perfect for entertaining as it feeds a crowd and can be assembled ahead of time. Just pop it in the oven when your guests arrive and you're good to go!
What is Bread Pudding?
When most people hear bread pudding, they think of dessert. But there’s a whole other world of savory bread puddings and it’s pretty amazing. Savory bread pudding is a baked casserole and is also known as strata. You make it with cubed bread, cheese and other ingredients like vegetables or meat. You then soak the ingredients in an egg-based custard and bake it in the oven. My Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions is a rich and elegant dish is equally suitable for the brunch or dinner table. It also makes an excellent side dish or vegetarian entrée for the holidays.
Savory bread puddings are perfect for entertaining and they definitely look very impressive when they emerge from the oven, puffed up and golden brown. They’re an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish and you can toss in whatever ingredients you have on hand in your pantry or fridge- leftover roasted veggies, shredded Rotisserie chicken, canned beans, you name it! And the best part is that they’re easy to make. In fact, you can assemble the whole thing the night before and simply pop it in the oven the next day when your guests come over.
I decided to do something a little different and use naan instead of traditional bread. Naan is an Indian flatbread that you’ve probably tried if you’ve ever eaten at an Indian restaurant. It’s deliciously light and fluffy and is perfect for scooping up Indian curries. You can also use naan to make sandwiches and panini, as a crust for pizza or a vehicle for dips.
How to Make Naan Bread Pudding
Then, mix the bread with caramelized onions, spinach, cheese, and herbs. Caramelized onions are one of my favorite things- I just think they make every dish better with their rich, sweet flavor. They take a little time to make but they’re oh so worth the effort. Just look at that deliciousness! Check out my tutorial on how to make caramelized onions.
The naan really soaks up the custard and as it bakes in the oven, infusing it with flavor and moisture. The end result is tender, creamy, and fluffy on the inside with a crispy, golden brown exterior. The caramelized onions are laced throughout the bread pudding, providing bites of sweet goodness. Combined with the savory spinach, earthy thyme, and salty Fontina cheese, it’s a perfect combination!
More Holiday Recipes:
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Recipe
Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions (1½ pounds), thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 pieces Stonefire Tandoor Baked Naan (I used a combination of Whole Grain and Garlic)
- 1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 4 ounces Fontina or other good melting cheese like Gruyere or sharp cheddar, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onions. Stir to coat all of the onions with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until they start to soften. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and caramelized, another 30-40 minutes. As they cook, scrape up the fond (the brown bits) on the bottom of the pan and mix it into the onions. If the onions start to burn or catch bottom, add a small amount of water to the pan. Once the onions are done, add the vinegar and stir to release all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- While the onions are cooking, cut the naan into 1-inch pieces (you should have about 9 cups) and place them in a large bowl. Add the spinach, caramelized onions, and almost all of the cheese, reserving a small amount for the topping. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together. Transfer the mixture to a large oval or 8x12-inch rectangular baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Make the custard by whisking the eggs, milk, thyme, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the dish. Press down to submerge all of the bread in the liquid. Let the mixture sit while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Alternatively, at this point, the dish can be refrigerated overnight.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the bread pudding and transfer to the oven. Bake 45-50 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Cool slightly, then cut into pieces and serve.
Nutrition
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Cynthia says
How far in advance would you say this could be made? I made a double batch with the hope i can freeze a second one and use it within a week. The first one is in the oven and I cannot wait to serve it!
sonaliruder says
Hi Cynthia! Yes, in general, bread pudding freezes well! I would say you could store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure that it’s completely cooled and then wrap it really well with plastic wrap. Let me know how it turns out!
Jessica says
This is really delicious - filling, healthy, and very tasty! Have made it twice, used a whole pound of spinach and chose gruyere for the cheese. Really nice to have in the fridge to just heat up a portion on a busy morning!
Theresa says
This looks amazing! I am excited to find a new vegetarian main dish. Thank you! I'm off to save this and look forward to making it soon.
Beverley says
I have this bookmarked and ready to go, it looks so interesting xoxo
sonaliruder says
Thanks Beverley! I hope you guys love it!
Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says
I've never had a savory bread pudding before, and I need to get that fixed asap. Your dish looks absolutely outstanding. I will be looking for Stonefire when I go shopping 🙂
sonaliruder says
Thanks Kris, I always love when you stop by! I can't wait to hear what you think about the dish 🙂
Dixya says
i have frittata but never tried strata. this is a perfect meal for brunch/breakfast/dinner. love love love it.
sonaliruder says
Oh Dixya, you have try strata, it's so good! Thanks 🙂
Elizabeth Shaw says
You are on fire...! Stone fire that is 🙂 LOL (okay, you can tell it's Friday!) I love this recipe, if I were your neighbor, I would be over in a heartbeat when I smelled this! #hellonaan!
sonaliruder says
Hahaha, I love it! OMG, how much fun would we have if we were neighbors!
Rebecca Pytell says
Naan bread pudding!? That is such a fun idea! Love it!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Rebecca!
Amber @ Homemade Nutrition says
Oh my goodness this looks sooo good! I need to make this soon! Love the pics too, awesome post!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Amber!
Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy says
I agree with Lisa - I am also drooling over here, this looks so awesome! Need this in my life ASAP!!!
sonaliruder says
That's awesome! Thanks Sarah!
Lisa Lin says
Sonali, I am seriously drooling as I scroll through these photos. LOVE all the caramelized onions in here, and I love that you made bread pudding with naan!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Lisa! Really, is there anything better than caramelized onions 😉
Jessica Levinson says
OMG this looks amazing! Need to make this ASAP!!!
sonaliruder says
Woohoo! Thanks Jessica 🙂
athletic avocado says
Love that you used naan bread! looks so good, pinning!
sonaliruder says
Thanks!
Allie Key says
What a creative use for Naan bread. I love this and it looks so good!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Allie!
Kristy Sayer @ Southern In Law says
Ooooooooh, this looks SOOOOOOOO good! Naan bread pudding/strata? I totally need to make some gluten free naan bread to try this!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Kristy!! I hope you love it if you get a chance to make it 🙂
Farrah says
Bread pudding!!! I've never tried savory bread pudding before, but this sounds awesome! (And yay for naan!)
sonaliruder says
Honestly Farrah, you have to try it! It really was awesome!