Baby Spinach And Garlic Bread Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 15 ounces baby spinach, stems removed
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/4 lb french baguette, crusts removed, bread cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste as garnish

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325°f
• 2 butter a 6-cup soufflé dish or other deep baking dish.
• 3 in a large skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter over moderately high heat. add the spinach, water and garlic, season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and stir a few times.
• 4 cover and cook the spinach until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
• 5 set a colander over a bowl and drain the spinach; press very lightly on the spinach to extract 1/4 cup of liquid.
• 6 spread out the spinach on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
• 7 heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.
• 8 add the diced bread (that have been tossed with parmesan cheese) and cook over moderate heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
• 9 stir and continue to cook until the croutons are crisp all over, about 2 minutes longer.
• 10 transfer the croutons to a plate to cool.
• 11 in a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, reserved spinach cooking liquid, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and the nutmeg.
• 12 stir in the spinach and pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish.
• 13 spread the fried croutons evenly over the top.
• 14 set the soufflé dish in a roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the soufflé dish.
• 15 bake the bread pudding for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set.
• 16 let the pudding cool slightly, then serve directly from the soufflé dish or invert it onto a platter and serve.