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    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Quick & Easy Bread Sauce Recipe

    Published: Jul 28, 2021 · Modified: Sep 6, 2024 by Beth Sachs · 7 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    Easy bread sauce for Christmas.

    A quick and easy bread sauce recipe, flavoured with onion, bay leaves, cloves, and nutmeg.

    The perfect partner to turkey or chicken, and be warned: once you try it, you may find yourself sneaking spoonfuls straight from the bowl!

    Easy bread sauce in a saucepan.

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    Why settle for bland, store-bought bread sauce mixes when you can easily make a homemade version that's 100 times tastier?

    This simple bread sauce recipe is packed with flavour and takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Once you've tried it, you'll never want to go back to the pre-packaged stuff again!

    👩‍🍳 Don't forget to check out my homemade cranberry sauce recipe too!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make bread sauce
    • Top Tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQs
    • 😋Related recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    1. Bread sauce is a classic accompaniment to roast chicken or turkey, and adds a deliciously rich and creamy flavour to your meal.
    2. With just a few simple ingredients like onion, bay leaves, cloves, and nutmeg, it's easy to make at home and can be whipped up in just 20 minutes.
    3. It's a versatile sauce that can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes, including roast beef, pork, or game.

    🥘 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make homemade bread sauce.

    Breadcrumbs- white bread left out overnight to go stale and then pulsed into breadcrumbs in a food processor.

    Milk - use full-fat whole milk for a rich and creamy bread sauce.

    Onion - peeled and left whole for infusing the milk.

    Cloves - pushed into the onion, and imparts that strong familiar flavour.

    Bay Leaves - 2 bay leaves add a delicious savouriness

    Nutmeg - freshly grated is best.

    Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.

    Double Cream - for extra creaminess.

    🔪 How to make bread sauce

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: To infuse the milk for the bread sauce, pour it into a saucepan and stud the onion with cloves. Place the onion in the pan with the bay leaves and bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

    Two: Remove the onion and bay leaves from the milk using a slotted spoon. Return the milk to low heat and add the breadcrumbs, freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper.

    Three: Stir the mixture to combine, then add the double cream. Serve the bread sauce warm and enjoy!

    Step by step photos for making easy bread sauce.

    Top Tips

    • For the best texture, use stale white bread to make breadcrumbs. The bread should be left out overnight to go stale before pulsing it into fine crumbs in a food processor.
    • Forgot to leave your bread out overnight? No problem! Simply preheat your oven to a low temperature, lay the bread slices on a baking tray, and bake them for 5-7 minutes. Once the bread is toasted and slightly dry, allow it to cool before pulsing it into breadcrumbs in a food processor

      🍴 Serving suggestions

      Traditionally, bread sauce is served with roast turkey for Christmas dinner, with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, sausage meat stuffing, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, honey roast parsnips and carrots, devils on horseback, and gravy.

      It's good with roast chicken and slow cooker lamb too!

      📖 Variations

      • Reduce the calories by using semi-skimmed milk and omitting the double cream.
      • For a more indulgent version, add 1 tablespoon of butter with the double cream.
      • For a savoury twist, add a clove or two of minced garlic to the milk while it's infusing.
      • Grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese can be added to the bread sauce for a cheesy twist.
      • Prefer a chunkier sauce? Tear the bread into pieces rather than pulsing it into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
      Bread sauce in a serving dish.

      🥡 Storage

      Make- Ahead - This simple bread sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When you're ready to serve it, simply reheat it gently in a saucepan over a low heat. You may need to thin it out with a little milk if it has thickened in the fridge.

      Freeze - Bread sauce can also be frozen for longer storage. Make the sauce as directed, then allow it to cool completely. Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container, leaving some room for expansion. Label the container with the date and contents, then freeze for up to 3 months.

      ❓ FAQs

      What texture should bread sauce have?

      Bread sauce should be the texture and consistency of thick porridge. It's a sauce that is generally spooned onto plates rather than poured.

      Where did bread sauce originate from?

      A British classic, it's traditionally served alongside roast turkey at Christmas, but is equally good with roast chicken and other meat. Its origins can be traced back to the middle ages when cooks needed a way to use up leftover bread and found it could be used to thicken stews, soups, and sauces.

      What is bread sauce made of?

      Traditional British bread sauce is made with milk, butter or cream, and bread crumbs, and typically flavoured with onion, cloves, and bay leaf.

      Can you make bread sauce without cloves?

      Yes, you can make bread sauce without cloves. Cloves are often used to add a warm and heat to the sauce, but they are not essential. Just leave them out if you don;t like cloves.

      😋Related recipes

      More Christmas sides from the Effortless Foodie kitchen!

      • Slow cooker red cabbage in a serving dish.
        Easy Slow Cooker Red Cabbage Recipe
      • Air fryer stuffing balls in a bowl.
        Easy Air Fryer Stuffing Balls
      • Air Fryer Maple Sriracha Devils on Horseback
      • Honey roasted carrots and parsnips.
        Easy Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips Recipe

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      Recipe

      Bread sauce with bay leaves.
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      5 from 6 votes

      Quick and Easy Bread Sauce Recipe

      This quick and easy bread sauce recipe is the perfect complement to your roast dinner or Christmas lunch. Infused with warm spices and creamy goodness, it's simple and delicious!
      Course Side Dish
      Cuisine British
      Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
      Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
      Total Time 20 minutes minutes
      Servings 8
      Calories 132kcal
      Author Beth Sachs
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      Equipment

      • Food Processor
      • Saucepan

      Ingredients

      Metric - US Customary
      • 3 Slices White Bread
      • 500 ml Whole Milk
      • 1 Onion peeled and kept whole
      • 6 Cloves
      • 2 Bay Leaves
      • ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
      • ¼ teaspoon Salt
      • ¼ teaspoon Pepper
      • 2 tablespoon Double Cream

      Instructions

      • To prepare for making bread sauce, leave the white bread slices out on the kitchen counter to dry out the day before. If you forget, don't worry! Check out my top tips for a quick and easy way to get stale bread.
        3 Slices White Bread
      • Tear up the bread into large pieces and pulse in a food processor until you get breadcrumbs. Weigh out exactly 150g.
        3 Slices White Bread
      • To infuse the milk for the bread sauce, pour it into a saucepan and stud the onion with cloves. Place the onion in the pan with the bay leaves and bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
        500 ml Whole Milk, 1 Onion, 6 Cloves, 2 Bay Leaves
      • Remove the onion and bay leaves from the milk using a slotted spoon. Return the milk to low heat and add the breadcrumbs, freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
        3 Slices White Bread, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
      • Stir the mixture to combine, then add the double cream. Serve the bread sauce warm and enjoy!
        2 tablespoon Double Cream

      Notes

      Top Tips: 
        • For the best texture, use stale white bread to make breadcrumbs. The bread should be left out overnight to go stale before pulsing it into fine crumbs in a food processor.
        • Forgot to leave your bread out overnight? No problem! Simply preheat your oven to a low temperature, lay the bread slices on a baking tray, and bake them for 5-7 minutes. Once the bread is toasted and slightly dry, allow it to cool before pulsing it into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
       
      Variations:
      • Reduce the calories by using semi-skimmed milk and omitting the double cream.
      • For a more indulgent version, add 1 tablespoon of butter with the double cream.
      • For a savoury twist, add a clove or two of minced garlic to the milk while it's infusing.
      • Grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese can be added to the bread sauce for a cheesy twist.
      • Prefer a chunkier sauce? Tear the bread into pieces rather than pulsing it into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
       
      Storage:
      The bread sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge. When you are ready to serve it, pop it back in a saucepan and heat it up gently. You may need to thin the bread sauce out with a little milk. The bread sauce can also be frozen.
       
      Nutrition:
      The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
       
      Nutrition Facts
      Quick and Easy Bread Sauce Recipe
      Amount per Serving
      Calories
      132
      % Daily Value*
      Fat
       
      4
      g
      6
      %
      Saturated Fat
       
      2
      g
      13
      %
      Polyunsaturated Fat
       
      1
      g
      Monounsaturated Fat
       
      1
      g
      Cholesterol
       
      11
      mg
      4
      %
      Sodium
       
      239
      mg
      10
      %
      Potassium
       
      145
      mg
      4
      %
      Carbohydrates
       
      18
      g
      6
      %
      Fiber
       
      1
      g
      4
      %
      Sugar
       
      5
      g
      6
      %
      Protein
       
      5
      g
      10
      %
      Vitamin A
       
      159
      IU
      3
      %
      Vitamin C
       
      1
      mg
      1
      %
      Calcium
       
      112
      mg
      11
      %
      Iron
       
      1
      mg
      6
      %
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
      Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

      More Easy Christmas Recipes

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        Dark Chocolate and Ginger Tiffin Recipe
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        Easy Mincemeat Flapjacks Recipe
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        Easy White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
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        Easy Mincemeat Crumble Slices Recipe

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Claudia Lamascolo

        July 28, 2021 at 1:59 pm

        5 stars
        I love that nutmeg additions it must smell heavenly also!

        Reply
      2. Sherry Ronning

        July 28, 2021 at 2:21 pm

        5 stars
        I have been looking for a special recipe to make on Thanksgiving. Thanks to you, I have finally found this Easy Bread Sauce recipe that my whole family is going to love. I like that this recipe can be made a couple of days ahead of time and then re-warmed up when ready to serve. I can't wait to surprise my family with this awesome sauce!!

        Reply
      3. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

        July 28, 2021 at 2:38 pm

        5 stars
        Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!

        Reply
      4. Caroline

        July 28, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        5 stars
        My mum always made bread sauce at Christmas time but it wasn't one of the recipes I picked up from her, for some reason. Love that hint of nutmeg.

        Reply
      5. Alison

        July 28, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        5 stars
        Super easy, and WAY better than store bought! I'll never get store bought bread sauce again!

        Reply
      6. Anthea

        December 06, 2021 at 10:23 am

        I want to try this recipe but I notice it has whole milk in the recipe - can I make it with soya or coconut milk?

        Reply
        • Beth Sachs

          December 06, 2021 at 11:16 am

          Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend making this with coconut or soya milk.

          Reply
      5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Easy bread sauce for Christmas.

      Hi, I'm Beth!

      Mum of three (and two crazy dogs), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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