Table of Contents
  1. An easy-to-make showstopping bread to impress.
  2. Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
  3. Here’s how to make this recipe.
  4. These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
  5. Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
  6. More Thanksgiving recipes to try.
  7. Watch how to make this recipe.
  8. Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
  9. Herb & Cheese Popovers Recipe

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These herb and cheese popovers may not be the traditional Thanksgiving bread option, but they’re a great alternative this year. With a soft, egg-inspired center and a crusty cheese-covered top, this bread choice will be everyone’s favorite. Plus, they’re easy to make and a real time saver!

An easy-to-make showstopping bread to impress.

Popovers taste like a delicacy when you taste one but do you know the secret? They are quick and easy. Popovers have a simple batter with flour, eggs, milk, and some butter. The batter is thin, but the gluten from the flour and the protein from the eggs trap in the steam that is created when the batter goes in the hot oven. The steam causes the batter to grow dramatically and become crisp brown around the edges but custard-like and soft in the middle. The key is a hot oven. Here is my game plan: at the end of the preparation of all of your other Thanksgiving dishes, when the turkey is resting before slicing, prepare these popovers, stick them in the oven, and they’ll be ready to go when everyone’s ready to eat.

Baked popover sitting on its side on marble surface showing interior texture of popover with crispy browned top.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

  • Whole milk makes the batter the correct consistency, which is pourable. Use whole milk for more flavor.
  • All-purpose flour gives the structure and gluten needed. The gluten helps trap in the steam causing the popovers to grow in the oven.
  • Eggs provide a custard-like interior to the popovers. The high ratio of eggs is key to the unique texture of a popover.
  • Sugar makes the popovers turn golden brown and balance the flavor.
  • Gruyere cheese is a rich, creamy, and nutty cheese. The salty flavor seasons add a savory twist to the popovers.
  • Smoked Gouda cheese is a rich, smoky cheese that melts easily and deepens the flavor of the popovers. The cheese creates a golden crust on each popover.
Marble surface filled with all ingredients needed to make cheese popovers including eggs, flour, herbs, cheese, butter, and more.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

  1. Prepare the milk and egg mixture. In a bowl, place the eggs, whole milk, sugar, and salt. Whisk the ingredients until everything is smooth with no streaks of eggs visible.
Two hands mixing eggs and milk mixture in glass measuring cup with egg shells to the side all on white countertop.
Hand holding metal whisk mixing together eggs and milk in a large glass measuring cup on white countertop.
  1. Add the herbs and flour. To the wet batter, add the all-purpose flour. Then chop up the fresh parsley, strip the thyme leaves from their stems, and chop them slightly. Also, add these two herbs directly to the batter and whisk everything together until evenly incorporated.
Glass measuring bowl filled with egg and milk mixture with flour and chopped herbs resting on top all on white countertop.
Hand holding whisk mixing together all ingredients in a glass measuring cup all on a white surface with wood cutting board in background.
  1. Add the melted butter and shred the cheese and add the melted butter. Pour the melted and slightly cooled butter into the batter and mix it in to ensure it is evenly combined. Using a cheese grater, shred both the Gruyere cheese and smoked gouda into thin strips. Combine the two kinds of cheese together so that when sprinkled on top of each popover, some of each cheese will bake on top.
Hand holding small copper pot with melted butter in it about to be poured into glass mixing bowl filled with milk and flour mixture all on white countertop.
Hand cutting cheese into strip on cheese grater with pile of cheese sitting to the side on wood cutting board.
  1. Pour the batter into the popover pan. To a popover pan or muffin tin, pour the batter, evenly distributing the batter into each form. On top of each popover, sprinkle the mixture of cheese.

What is a popover pan? It’s a special pan that is created specifically for baking popovers. The pan is designed to allow each popover plenty of room to grow when baked and allow air to circulate around each form of batter.

Hand holding glass measuring cup filled with milk and flour mixture pouring into popover pan on white countertop.
Hand placing pieces of shredded cheese on top of a popover in popover pan with more popovers in background without cheese on them all on white surface.
  1. Bake in the oven. Place the popovers in the preheated 450°F oven and bake for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for the remaining 20 to 25 minutes. Once baked, remove the popovers from the oven and remove each popover from the pan immediately. Let them cool slightly on a wire rack and serve immediately.
Popover pan with batter in each well before going into the oven to be baked all on marble surface.
Popover pan sitting on marble surface with baked popovers in each part of the pan.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

  • Popovers are a great alternative to the traditional dinner roll recipe, but there is one caveat. They need to be made right before the meal since they tend to deflate after a period of time. They are best served warm right from the oven.
  • It’s always important to have your oven preheated and ready with the rack set to one of the lowest settings. Since the popovers need room to grow vertically, it’s best not to crowd them with a rack on top.
  • Right after the popovers are taken from the oven, immediately remove them from the pan. If left in the pan, the moisture from the pan will cause the popovers to become soggy.
Marble surface with popover ripped in half showing the interior texture with doughy texture with bits of herbs.

Frequently asked questions about this recipe.

Can lesser-fat milk be used rather than whole milk?

Yes, you can use lower-fat milk for the popovers. The flavor will be impacted, but the texture will be the same.

If I don’t have a popover pan, can I still make this recipe?

Yes! Use a greased 12-cup muffin tin pan instead. The popovers will be slightly smaller, but they will still be delicious!

Can sweet popovers be made as well?

Yes, this recipe can be made into a sweet one. Remove the cheese and increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons. Serve with jam.

Do I need to heat the popover pan before pouring in the batter?

No, you do not need to heat the pan. Some people do believe starting with a hot pan will allow the popovers to grow quicker. I have not found this true, and I do not like working with a hot pan.

How soon after baking do these popovers have to be eaten?

Popovers are best served hot from the oven. The crisp texture will recede quickly once they cool off slightly. After removing the popovers from the oven, remove them from the pan and place them on a rack so the bottoms do not become soggy. Then serve as soon as possible!

Marble surface with magnolia garland and pears along the top with black popover pan with baked and golden popovers still sitting in pan.

More Thanksgiving recipes to try.

Watch how to make this recipe.

YouTube video

More Thanksgiving recipes

Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?

I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!

Popped and golden brown popovers sitting in black popover pan after coming out of the oven.

Herb & Cheese Popovers

Kaleb
5 from 6 votes
These herb and cheese popovers may not be the traditional Thanksgiving bread option, but they’re a great alternative this year. With a soft, egg-inspired center and a crusty cheese-covered top, this bread choice will be everyone’s favorite. Plus, they’re easy to make and a real time saver!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 popovers
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share a Review

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk room temperature
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F and set the rack to lower position. Grease a 6-cup nonstick popover pan and set aside.
  • Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and sugar until the eggs and milk are smooth. Add the flour, parsley, and thyme. Whisk until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. Pour in the melted and slightly cooled butter and mix to incorporate.
    4 large eggs, 1 ½ cups whole milk, 2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Divide batter into the prepared popover pan. Alternatively, a 12-cup muffin pan can be used, but the popovers will be smaller. Combine the Gruyere cheese and smoked Gouda cheese. Sprinkle 2 tbsp cheese on top of each popover.
    ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese, ¼ cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
  • Place in the preheated 450°F oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F without opening the oven door, and continue to bake for 20-25 additional minutes or until the popovers are fully browned and crisp on top.
  • Remove from the oven and immediately remove the popovers from the pan and place on a rack to cool for 3-5 minutes. Letting popovers cool in the pans will cause them to deflate. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Popovers are a great alternative to the traditional dinner roll recipe, but there is one caveat. They need to be made right before the meal since they tend to deflate after a period of time. They are best served warm right from the oven.
  • It’s always important to have your oven preheated and ready with the rack set to one of the lowest settings. Since the popovers need room to grow vertically, it’s best not to crowd them with a rack on top.
  • Right after the popovers are taken from the oven, immediately remove them from the pan. If left in the pan, the moisture from the pan will cause the popovers to become soggy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1popoverCalories: 327kcal
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Difficulty Easy
Method Baking

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Avatar for Kaleb Wyse

Kaleb

Kaleb Wyse is a New York Times bestselling author behind the popular Wyse Guide website. Living on his fourth-generation Iowa farm, he loves sharing recipes and gardening tips that come from traditions that feel comfortably familiar. His down-to-earth style makes sustainable living and farm life feel like home!

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5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. Just made your popovers. Couldn’t be easier and they are absolutely delicious. The bit of sugar in your recipe was perfect. I used a jumbo muffin pan which also worked out just fine. Thanks for your inspiration and I look forward to making more of your recipes.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I have never had a bad recipe from you, and these were no exception. Being raised on Yorkshire pudding, these were a delicious diversion!!! I even went out and bought popover pans!! So much fun!!! If I were to make them in muffin tins (which I have always used for my Yorkshire pudding) would I cut the baking time down?

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    My husband and I loved the flavor of these with the crispy Gruyere cheese and Gouda cheese on top! And, they puffed up beautifully out of the popover pan! The herbs were so tasty! I’ll be adding this to my “Wyseguide Favorites” for sure!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    These were so easy, and delicious and a hit with the whole family. We made them the weekend after Thanksgiving to go with the annual turkey soup.
    Such a perfect accompaniment and a way to use up the leftover herbs and cheese after the holiday.

    Reply

  7. i made this recipe for the very first time for thanksgiving (purchased popover pan for this purpose) i was under the impression that popovers are essentially hollow inside leaving a crispy airy crust. mine were not (still tasted good) I substituted cheddar cheese for the “fancier” cheeses my oven was super hot as directed, did i do something wrong?????

    Reply