Best Bread Machine Recipes That Aren't Bread (2024)

Best Bread Machine Recipes That Aren't Bread (1)

Specialty appliances have no room in my kitchen, and I’ve tossed out quesadilla makers, strawberry hullers, and even a garlic press to whittle down my appliances to only the essentials.

But one appliance you won’t find me parting with anytime soon? My bread maker.

Don’t let the name fool you. This seemingly single-use appliance can do so much more than merely bake bread.

Bread machines come with a built-in mixing paddle and are able to cook at fairly low temperatures, which means you’ve basically got a slow cooker, instant stirrer, and mini-oven all in one machine that won’t heat up your kitchen.

My Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus can make everything from gluten-free bread to pizza dough, but it can also whip up a few less expected recipes as well. From scrambled eggs to slow roasted stews, check out these alternative uses for your bread machine.

15 bread machine recipes that aren’t bread

Easy beef stew
Cheesy artichoke dip
Fresh herb and cream cheese egg scramble
Pea risotto
Easy sweet mochi
Spinach meatloaf
Cranberry sauce with orange and thyme
Tomato soup
Deep, dark chocolate pudding
Spaghetti and meatballs
Strawberry cheesecake
Yogurt
Udon noodles
Easy rice pudding
Peach cobbler

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1. Easy beef stew

No need to heat up your kitchen for hours simmering your favorite beef stew. Your bread maker will heat and stir your stew for you on the “jam” cycle, and can even bake some dollops of biscuit dough right in the mix… if that’s how you roll with your stew.

Get our easy beef stew recipe.

2. Cheesy artichoke dip

When prepping for a party, leave room in your oven for other important snacks by using your bread maker’s “jam” cycle to heat up and stir your favorite artichoke dip.

3. Fresh herb and cream cheese egg scramble

Just like you can make scrambled eggs in a Crock Pot, you can make them in a bread machine too!

Although it may take longer to make scrambled eggs in the bread maker than on the stovetop, you’ll have fluffy eggs in roughly 15 minutes without so much as lifting a spatula. This creamy breakfast recipe amplifies the usual scramble with cream cheese and fresh herbs like dill, parsley, and chives.

Pro tip: Drizzle in a bit of oil before pouring your egg mixture into the bread pan and setting the machine on the “jam” cycle.

Get our fresh herb and cream cheese egg scramble recipe.

4. Pea risotto

Stirring risotto can be a tedious task, but with the bread maker’s automatic stirring paddle(s), you’ll get a delightfully creamy risotto just by pressing the “jam” button once.

Get our pea risotto recipe.

5. Easy sweet mochi

This Japanese treat is made with sweet rice flour, and typically involves multiple steps and countless hours to make. But — rejoice! — your bread machine specializes in flour and can whip up a batch of mochi in a few hours.

Get our easy sweet mochi recipe.

6. Spinach meatloaf

The loaf that comes out of your bread maker doesn’t need to be doughy. You can try your hand at a meaty loaf that would make your grandma proud. Call Nana and use her recipe (or if she was a terrible cook, use our version instead).

Get our spinach meatloaf recipe.

7. Cranberry sauce with orange and thyme

The bread maker’s “jam” cycle was designed to heat and stir for anywhere from 1-2 hours, making it easy to whip up a quick fruit preserve (pectin optional). Toss in some honey, orange zest, and fresh thyme and you’ll have a delicious cranberry sauce for a holiday gathering.

Get our cranberry sauce with orange and thyme recipe.

8. Tomato soup

To get this classic soup going, let the onions and garlic simmer in the olive oil on the “jam” cycle for about 15 minutes, then add all other ingredients (except the cream).

After 30-40 more minutes in the bread machine, stir in the cream for a warm, savory soup perfect for dunking with (what else?) bread.

Get our classic tomato soup recipe.

9. Deep, dark chocolate pudding

Using a bread maker can give you a homemade “instant” pudding that doesn’t come from a box. Even better: It can be the deep, dark, fudgy stuff of dreams.

Get our deep, dark chocolate pudding recipe.

10. Spaghetti and meatballs

The only thing your bread maker can’t do for this recipe is boil the noodles to al dente, but pour in some crushed tomatoes, salt, fresh herbs, and homemade meatballs and you’re on your way to an easy, flavorful dinner.

Let the mixture simmer for a few hours before pouring over cooked spaghetti.

Get our spaghetti and meatballs recipe.

11. Strawberry cheesecake

A beautifully rich, creamy cheesecake with a crisp graham cracker crust is child’s play with your bread maker. You’ll add the graham cracker crust last, after an hour of baking on the “cake” cycle with this strawberry cheesecake recipe from Zojirushi.

Get the strawberry cheesecake recipe.

12. Yogurt

Not all bread makers come with a yogurt function, in which case you’ll need to pre-heat the milk to 113°F (45°C) on the stovetop before adding natural live yogurt (look for “live active cultures” on the label) and transferring the mixture to mason jars.

Remove the bread pan and place the mason jars directly in the bread maker. Set the machine on its lowest setting (around 105°F or 41°C) to allow the yogurt to ferment for anywhere from 3-8 hours. Top your fresh yogurt with some jam or homemade granola.

13. Udon noodles

Purchased udon noodles are perfect for soups, stir-fries, or even just served cold as-is, but homemade udon noodles have a distinctly chewy and thick texture that takes any dish up a notch. This recipe makes a fool-proof dough with your bread maker.

Get the udon noodles recipe.

14. Easy rice pudding

As you may have realized by now, your bread machine’s “jam” setting isn’t just for jam. Try it for a simple, comforting rice pudding using this foolproof recipe. That’s our jam!

Get our easy rice pudding recipe.

15. Peach cobbler

Whether you use fresh or frozen fruit, the bread maker will transform a few ingredients into a simple dessert with little effort on your part. Be sure to have some ice cream handy for topping!

Get the peach cobbler recipe.

Best Bread Machine Recipes That Aren't Bread (2024)

FAQs

What can you make in a bread machine besides bread? ›

But this countertop appliance can also make a lot more than just loaves of bread, from pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, hamburger and hot dog buns, and even doughnuts. Many of these recipes require just a few simple ingredients, making it easy to get a warm loaf of bread or other treats on the table.

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Why did bread machines lose popularity? ›

Some attribute the demise of the bread machine to the fact that cooks were just disappointed by their results. Lara Pizzorno, the author of Bread Machine Baking, chalked it up to food snobs who regarded the machine as “the electric equivalent of The Bridges of Madison County” in a 1996 article in The New York Times.

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What is the disadvantage of bread maker? ›

One disadvantage of using a bread maker as opposed to your hands is that the paddles are typically fixed, meaning they remain in the dough when baking, often leaving a hole in the middle of the loaf.

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Why is my homemade bread so dense in my bread machine? ›

Too much heat or humidity might lead to a too-quick rise and a crevice near the center of your bread. Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.

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Is it cheaper to use a bread maker or buy bread? ›

With generic white bread, homemade only saves you about $1.00 per loaf. But for fancier artisan breads, the savings jump to $3.00–5.00+ per loaf.

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Can you make boxed bread in a bread machine? ›

Yes, you certainly can. I've used a pre-mixed bread mix exactly one time in my bread maker. While it turned out fine, I have found just following the recipes that came in the manual for my bread maker give me larger loaves, and it's less expensive.

Is it cheaper to make your own bread with a machine? ›

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance. Specifically, I see this as an investment that's smart for households that go through bread quickly, like large families or homes with multiple roommates.

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What's the best flour for bread machine? ›

Just be sure to use a flour with a high protein content. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, with its high gluten, is an excellent flour for bread machines. Numerous people have told us that their recipes worked in the bread machine using King Arthur, when they didn't work with other all-purpose flours.

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How can I make my bread lighter and fluffy? ›

All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.

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What order do you put ingredients in a bread machine? ›

Adding Ingredients to the Bread Machine

Manufacturers usually recommend adding the liquids first, followed by dry ingredients, with the yeast going in last. This keeps the yeast away from the liquid ingredients until kneading begins.

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Does a bread maker only make bread? ›

Bread machines tend to be better for pillow-soft breads and if you want to make it from start to finish in your maker, you'll want to make whole loaves. You can also use bread machines to make rolls, pizza dough, pretzels, but you'll just be using the bread machine to make the dough and you'll do the rest in your oven.

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Is it worth buying a bread maker? ›

Time saved: Baking bread can be an enjoyable experience, but if you can't spare the hours to manually knead, prove and mix your dough each time, a breadmaker can significantly speed up the process.