Spinach and Baby Artichoke Bread Pudding
Dive into deliciousness with this Spinach Artichoke Bread Pudding, reminiscent of everyone's favorite dip! Every mouthful offers a harmonious blend of creamy textures and savory flavors, with tender baby artichokes, wilted spinach, and a rich blend of cheeses.
Ingredients
For the bread pudding:
- 2 ¼ lbs baby artichokes, about 12
- 1 lemon
- 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
- ½ cup water
- 10 ounces spinach
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic confit, smashed
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup grated Romano cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 16 ounces Italian bread, cubed
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
Instructions
To prepare the baby artichokes:
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of one lemon into it. This will prevent the artichokes from browning.
- Trim the base of the stems and peel off the tough outer leaves from the baby artichokes until you get to the tender yellow leaves closer to the middle.
- Cut off the top third of each artichoke and discard. Then slice the artichoke in half.
- As you work, place the cleaned artichokes in the lemon water to keep them fresh.
To cook the baby artichokes:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Allow the oil to get hot but not smoking.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the baby artichokes in a single layer, cut side down. Let them cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes until they begin to brown on one side.
- Carefully flip each artichoke and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until browned on the other side.
- Once the artichokes are nicely browned, carefully pour in the water. Be cautious as it may splatter. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the artichokes steam for about 5-7 minutes or until they are tender. Check occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
- Once the artichokes are tender, remove the lid and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Give them a gentle toss in the skillet to evenly distribute the seasoning.
- Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to work in batches when cooking the artichokes. Allow the cooked artichokes to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, rough chop them and set them aside.
To make the base:
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pot on medium heat and cook the onions until they become soft, about 2 minutes. Then, working in batches, add the spinach, a large handful at a time, stirring constantly, until it is all wilted.
- Next, stir in the cooked baby artichokes, garlic confit, cream cheese, parmesan, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne. Stir continuously until the cheese is melted, then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or large plate and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
To make the bread pudding:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200℃). Grease a 9” x 13” (33x23x5 cm) baking dish and set aside.
- Combine bread, spinach-artichoke mixture, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, thoroughly mix all the ingredients, squeezing everything together, but leaving some of the cubes of bread partially intact.
- Once everything is well mixed, pour it into your prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- *Optional Step* Before baking, you can let your prepared bread pudding rest in the refrigerator anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. This allows the bread to soak up the liquid from the mixture, further enhancing the texture. You can skip this step if you are pressed for time. I usually like it to rest for at least an hour.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.
To store:
- Allow to cool and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 20gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 10gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 4993IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 269mgIron: 5mg
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