If you love a sweet and savory breakfast then this Breakfast Bread Pudding is going to blow you away!
One of my favorite breakfasts of all time is, pancakes, sausage and eggs. There is something about the sweet pancakes with the savory sausage and the rich yolk of the egg that has me doing the happy dance for hours after eating it. The only downside (beside calories) is making it at home is time consuming and I'm a horrible pancake maker! I also don't like cold food and whenever I do attempt to make pancakes, eggs, and sausage at home... something is always cold.
Now, I can enjoy all the those same flavors in this delicious breakfast bread pudding! It's so easy to make, too!
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Just like most of my recipes, this one happened quite by accident. I had leftover sweet potato rolls that I had made and needed to use and we had a guest coming to visit, so I needed something quick and easy for breakfast. After throwing a few (and I mean just a few) ingredients together, I pressure cooked this "thing" and was blown away by the flavors. It was my favorite breakfast all in one casserole!
Our guest loved it too, he said it reminded him of a pancake that his Grandmother used to make, it was a thick pancake and although he told me the name, it is slipping my mind right now.
As with all my experiments in the kitchen, I had to come up with a name for it! I bounced a few ideas off of Jeff and none of them were quite right. Then, I said, "it reminds me of a sweet and savory bread pudding." There you go, that is what it is... a delicious and easy-to-make Breakfast Bread Pudding!
What Type of Bread Should I use in this Breakfast Bread Pudding?
Like I mentioned earlier, my first test of this recipe was with homemade sweet potato rolls and they were fantastic! So, if you love to make bread and rolls from scratch, I really hope you check that recipe out and give it a try. You can find the recipe right here ⇒ Homemade Sweet Potato Rolls
Since I always test my recipes thoroughly before releasing them, I had to make several more batches of this breakfast bread pudding and I just didn't have time to make that many batches of homemade rolls... so, I bought some Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and they worked perfectly!
I would encourage you to either make the homemade sweet potato rolls or pick up a pack of the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls as I think they will work the best in this recipe.
If, for some reason, you can't find them or maybe you really don't like them, any soft roll should work just fine.
I don't recommend using a crusty or hard bread in this recipe because it doesn't sit long enough to soften the bread in my opinion. You could, however, Let the casserole sit overnight in the fridge and that would allow a denser bread to soften. I'm still not sure if you will get the same light and fluffy texture though.
What is Breakfast Bread Pudding?
Simply put, it's a bread pudding that is intended to be eaten for breakfast. Simple enough, right? Honestly, I don't think it is really defined. Wikipedia doesn't acknowledge it as a "thing," so, I guess it is not one of those dishes that has a heritage, no one is arguing over who invented it, and in the scope of recipes... it's not super popular.
That should change! In fact, it might change! We could be the ones to put Breakfast Bread Pudding on the food map! Let's do that! First, give it a try. Then, if you like it (and I hope you LOVE it), share the recipe with everyone you know! Pin it to your recipe boards. Talk about it with friends over drinks. No, don't do that! They will look you as bizarrely as my friends look at me when I talk non-stop about food and recipes.
The "pudding" part of this dish might be confusing. It isn't like eating a bowl of pudding, but homemade pudding/custard is made from eggs and milk. Yes, you can make pudding without eggs, but it is the thickening agent to help a custard set. Anyway, none of that really matters because this breakfast bread pudding isn't anything like the Jello pudding you whip up with milk.
In fact, it's hard to describe. The rolls soak up the eggs and the cream and when it cooks, it becomes this light and soft texture that is bursting with flavor! This recipe seriously reminds me of a McGriddle breakfast sandwich from McDonald's. Have you ever had one? If so, you will know exactly what I mean after you give this recipe a try.
If you haven't had a McGriddle before, it is a breakfast sandwich made from two pancakes (smaller and thicker) that are full of maple flavor and sweet. In between these two pancakes is a sausage patty (or bacon) and scrambled eggs. They are delicious! However, this Breakfast Bread Pudding is even more delicious!
Do I have to use Sausage?
Nope! I used it because that is what I had on hand and I love sausage with pancakes, so I figured it would be the perfect choice for this breakfast casserole. You can leave the sausage out if you prefer and it would become a sweeter bread pudding.
Or, you could add in bacon (cooked), ham, or seasoned ground beef even. You could even use the base ingredients and turn this into a Mexican Breakfast Bread Pudding by adding taco meat, green peppers, onions, and maybe even a little jalapeno.
As with all of my recipes, I encourage you to make the changes that best suit you to make it deliciously yours. That is what cooking is all about!
What Pan Should I Use?
I used the (affiliate link)Ninja Foodi All Purpose Pan because it is the largest pan I have with the deepest sides that fits in the Ninja Foodi and is safe for pressure cooking. You can use just about any pan (that is safe for pressure cooking) or even split it up into 2 pans. Just remember that the time is based on the depth of the casserole, so you may need to decrease or increase your pressure cooking time to accommodate the pan you use.
So, if you are using an 8"x 2" Fat Daddio Pan (or similar), you will need to decrease the ingredients and I would decrease the pressure cooking time to 20 minutes. You might be able to fit the entire recipe in a 2" deep pan, but keep in mind it will puff up over the top.
If you are using a pan that is 4" in depth and less than 8.5" in diameter, you would have to increase your time because the depth of the casserole will increase. I would suggest adding 5 minutes.
Can I Bake the Breakfast Bread Pudding Instead of Pressure Cooking it?
Yes, I'm sure that will be fine. I have not tested the recipe that way, but my recommendation would be to bake covered on 325ºF for 50-55 minutes. Then remove the cover, brush on the butter and pour over the maple syrup. Broil until the top is golden brown.
How Many People Does this Feed?
This is always one of the hardest questions to answer because it all depends on your serving size and the appetites of those you are serving. I set the number of servings to 10, which may seem like a lot of servings for one pan, but this is a rich breakfast and a little goes a long way.
If you are serving it alone as a breakfast for hungry adults, it will serve 6-8.
If you are serving it along with fresh fruit or some other types of breakfast/brunch items, it will feed 8-10 people.
How to Make Breakfast Bread Pudding
Turn the Ninja Foodi on high sear/sauté. Add the sausage. I used a mild breakfast sausage that was ground, but you could use links if you wanted to. Chop them up in to slices or a medium dice, or you can remove the sausage from the casing. Break the sausage up with a utensil that is safe for non-stick surfaces. I use the (affiliate link)Pampered Chef Mix 'N Chop, but you can use anything you have on hand. Continue to sauté until the breakfast sausage is about 75%-100% cooked.
It doesn't have to be cooked all the way because we are going under pressure, but you do want it to be cooked some so it doesn't release too much grease in your breakfast bread pudding. I find that it cooks almost all the way in the time it takes to get the egg mixture whipped up and the pan prepared. Remember to check on it so it doesn't burn. Decrease the heat if needed.
While the sausage is sautéing, crack a dozen eggs into a large bowl or a blender. Add ¼ cup maple syrup, cream, and salt. I used my (affiliate link)Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender's smoothie function to whip the egg mixture, but you can use any blender, an immersion blender, or a hand mixer. You can even whip them up by hand, but make sure you really whip them well. You want the egg mixture to be light yellow and a little frothy.
Brush a little butter into the pan you are using to prevent sticking. Break the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls or whatever rolls you are using into 4 large pieces and place them in the pan. Add the sausage and mix. You can certainly use a mixing bowl for this step and then pour it into the pan to make it easier.
Pour the egg mixture over the top.
Gently press down on the top to make sure all of the bread and sausage is under the egg mixture. Cover with foil or a silicone cover. I love the ones from Walfos and use them all the time, you can find them here ⇒ (affiliate link)Walfos Silicone Covers
Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot. Place the pan on the rack in the low position and place into the pot. Put the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. Set the pressure on LOW for 25 minutes. We use low pressure because we want the custard to set up at a lower temp which improves the texture of the bread pudding.
When the time is up, allow the pot to naturally release for 15 minutes. This is usually a full natural release, but if the pin hasn't dropped in 15 minutes, you can manually release the remaining pressure.
Remove the pressure lid and carefully blot or pour off any condensation on top of the cover on the pan. I accidentally got some liquid from the cover into my bread pudding and it was a little misleading on the video I did. It looked like there was uncooked egg in the bottom, but it was butter and syrup mixed with water. If this happens to you, do not worry about it. It did not affect the Breakfast bread Pudding at all.
Place pats of butter on top and pour over the maple syrup. Put the TenderCrisp lid down and select broil. Broil for about 3-4 minutes and check to make sure it isn't getting too dark. In some tests 8 minutes was the perfect amount of time and in others, it started to get dark in the spots after 4 minutes. If this happens, just switch over to the AC function and turn the heat down to 325°F for a few minutes. You want the top nice and golden brown. You can also try just using the AC function on 375°F for 5-10 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes. Slice and Serve! Enjoy!
Breakfast Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage ground breakfast sausage works best
- 12 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon sea salt fine grind
- 2 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted, plus a little extra for buttering your pan
- 12 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- 1 cup water
Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoon butter salted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
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Instructions
- Turn on the Ninja Foodi and select sear/sauté on high. Add in the breakfast sausage and let it sauté and cook while you prepare the egg mixture. Use a utensil that is safe for the non stick pan and break up the sausage. I use the Mix 'N Chop from Pampered Chef. You don't have to cook the sausage all the way, but aim for about 75% done.
- Crack the eggs into a blender or large bowl if you are using a hand mixer. Add ¼ cup of maple syrup, 1 cup of heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon of fine grind sea salt. I used the smoothie function on the Ninja Foodi Hot Cold Blender. Whatever you use to blend the eggs with is fine, just make sure they are well blended.
- Butter the pan you are using. I recommend using the Ninja Foodi Multi-Purpose Pan, but any pan will work. See post for more details on adjusting your timing.
- Break up each roll into about 4 large pieces and add them to the pan or you can place them in a large bowl for easier mixing if you want.
- Add the sausage to the bread and mix. Place into the pan, if you mixed it up in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture over it and press down to make sure the egg mixture is completely covering the bread/sausage.
- Cover the pan with foil or a silicone cover. Place it on the rack in the low position. Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot and put the rack into the Ninja Foodi. Put the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. Set the pressure on LOW for 25 minutes. When the time is up, allow the Ninja Foodi to natural release for 15 minutes. If there is any pressure remaining, manually release it.
- Carefully remove the water from the top of the pan. Remove the cover. Brush with butter and pour ¼ cup of maple syrup over the top. Turn the broil on (no need to preheat) and broil for 4-8 minutes. If the top is getting to brown, switch to the air crisp function and decrease the heat to 325°F/163°C. You want the top a golden brown.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Nutrition
ABOUT THE RECIPE AUTHOR, LOUISE LONG
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of 
experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and getting the most out of the Ninja Foodi.
Ninja Foodi Fresh & Healthy Meals
Seeing the need for easy, delicious, and high quality recipes, she is focusing all of her efforts creating recipes specifically for the Ninja Foodi. Her recipes are easy for the home cook to follow and provide step-by-step instructions.
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE COOKING UP IN YOUR NINJA FOODI! TAG ME @THESALTEDPEPPER ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WHEN YOU MAKE A DISH!
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Katrina
Should there be leftovers can they be frozen ?
Louise
Absolutely, you can freeze it.