When I get tired of potatoes, rice, and pasta but still want carbs, I throw some bread into the rotation.
As in these bacon bread dumplings, because everything is better with bacon. If you don’t belong to the masses of bacon lovers (ahem, daughter), you can leave it out. They are good even without the bacon.

Originating from Austrian, German, and Czech cuisine, dumplings spread throughout the Europe with variations. They can be made of ground liver (yuck), semolina (to drop into soup), or potatoes (dessert).
Serve these bacon bread dumplings with saucy dishes, like my red wine goulash. These puppies are perfect for scooping up meat juices and a good way to use up leftover bread.
But don’t limit their consumption with only rich fall and winter meals. They go great with creamy mushroom or cheesy sauces any time of the year. What is your go-to side dish?
Ingredients:
- butter
- stale bread
- bacon
- yellow onion
- eggs
- milk
- nutmeg
- fresh parsley
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and toss until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add bacon and onions to the skillet and sauté until browned. Add the mixture to the bread.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour over bread mixture; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add parsley and mix until well combined. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Moisten your hands and form the bread mixture into 6 balls. Add balls to boiling water and cook until firm, about 15-20 minutes. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve dumplings alongside any meat or mushrooms with gravy or a creamy sauce.
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Try these bread dumplings alongside these recipes:
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Bacon Bread Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ pounds bread cut into small cubes
- 2-3 slices bacon finely chopped
- ¼ cup yellow onion minced
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and toss until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add bacon and onions to the skillet and sauté until browned. Add the mixture to the bread.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour over bread mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add parsley and mix until well combined. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Moisten your hands and form bread mixture into 6 balls. Add balls to boiling water and cook until firm, about 15-20 minutes. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve dumplings alongside any meat or mushrooms with gravy or a creamy sauce.
Andrew says
These looked and even tasted great, right up until the point they entered the pot.
Whereupon they disintegrated.
Thoughts? Because I’m willing to give this a second go. The rest of the batch is going into the oven as a sort of dressing for the Czech paprikaš I made.
Jas says
Oh, no! So sorry to read this, Andrew! Perhaps the bread pieces were too large? Try applying more pressure to the mixture when forming dumplings with wet hands. Hope this will help. Thanks for giving them a try and for stopping in!
Suzie from Munchkin Time says
These looks amazingly delicious! Thank you Jas for posting this yummy recipe! - Suzie
Jas says
Thank you so much, Suzie! I "stalked" your blog and couldn't decide which recipe I liked the most. They all look amazing and I will be definitely trying them out, starting with spinach artichoke dip and tiramisu! 🙂
Nicole says
I have only ever had chicken and dumplings, but these do sound and look delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at the #HomeMattersParty this week.
Jas says
Why stop at chicken, right? LOL. Thanks for stopping in, Nicole!