"This should be illegal." That's what Bruce said about this dish, and I agree. Rich, decadent, comforty and satisfying, you'll want to eat the entire thing. Fattening? Uh, YEAH. That's why it tastes so good! This would make a fantastic alternative to stuffing at Thanksgiving, or just eat it as a main dish with a side salad.
My recipe is adapted slightly from a recipe I got from my friend Peggy. Thank you, Peggy!
First, slice one whole sweet onion and one whole red onion.
Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook low and slow until caramelized.
This takes about 15-20 minutes and the onions shrink quite a bit.
See that browning in there? Caramelization, baby. Sweet!
Take the onions off the heat and place them in a bowl to cool. Next, grate the cheese.
Here's a tip: keep those cheese rinds! They are delicious cut into cubes and added at the last minute to soups. They melt slightly and are treasures to be found as you dip your soup into the bowl. Bruce and I have been known to count how many cheese squares each of us has in our bowls to make sure it's fair.
Next step: slice the mushrooms and saute in the same skillet or on the griddle until browned. Add to the bowl with the onions to cool.
On to the bread. The bread in the bread pudding. The delicious base for this heavenly pudding. I use sliced brioche.
You could also use challah, ciabatta, or even a heavier multi-grain, nutty or seeded bread. Experiment! Cut the bread into cubes and place in a really large bowl.
Chop up some chives...
Toss the onions and garlic, mushrooms and chives into the bowl with the bread.
Sort through a bag of fresh baby spinach, tossing any wilted leaves and pinching off any long stems.
Rinse the spinach quickly in some cold water and drain thoroughly. It should have a little bit of water still on the leaves, but not much. Place in a large skillet over medium-low heat and wilt, stirring constantly.
It looks like a lot of spinach, but it reduces quite a bit.
See what I mean? Once it is all wilted, turn off the heat and tilt the pan. Use the back of a wood spoon to squeeze all of the water out of the spinach.
Carefully transfer the spinach to the large bowl with the other ingredients.
Toss in the grated Gruyere...
Now mix it all together without tossing stuff out of the bowl all over the counter. I told you to use a BIG bowl!
Here comes the yummy stuff. Mix the custard (eggs, cream, broth, salt and pepper) together in a measuring cup and slowly pour it evenly over the contents in the bowl.
Using a wooden spoon, smush everything down into the custard so it's all wet.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes, so the bread soaks up all of that yummy custardy goodness. Wait for it...
Now pour it into a greased casserole dish.
Cover with foil and bake at 350ยบ for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until browned on top, about 15-20 minutes more.
I made this casserole to take to Peggy's for lunch on one of our infamous Sewing Days. She was so excited. Couldn't wait to dig in!
Go ahead, Peggy. Serve yourself a nice healthy portion!
Hmmm, maybe just a little bit more...
Oh my goodness. This bread pudding is so delicious. You just have to try it. You will not be sorry. (Just don't weigh yourself for about a week afterward :-)
Here's the recipe - Enjoy!
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