Savory Artichoke and Spinach Bread Pudding

This is a fantastic side dish for a party, since it makes a lot and can be served at room Temp. It was inspired by an "Emeril" recipe. If you added ham it could easily be a Main Dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 32  ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2  cups onions, chopped
• 3  large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  tablespoon  italian seasoning
• 2  teaspoons  italian seasoning
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3 (8 1/2ounce) cans artichokes, quartered
• 6  large eggs
• 5  cups half-and-half cream
• 2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•  French bread, several days old, cubed
• 3  cups gruyere cheese, grated
• 3⁄4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• 1⁄4 cup parsley, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sauté the onions over med. heat in the oil until soft.
3. Add the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add the 2 teaspoons of the Italian Seas.
4. Add the spinach and cook for about 10 minutes. You might have to add a little more oil. Remove from heat. Stir in the artichokes.
5. Combine the cream, eggs, lemon juice, 1 T Italian seasoning, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
6. Get out a very large bowl. :-) Add the cubed bread, cheeses, parsley, and spinach mixture. Mix well. Pour over the egg mixture and stir well. Let it sit until the moisture is absorbed, approx 20 minutes or less.
7. Pour into an 11x17-inch sprayed casserole dish.
8. Bake 1 hour or until firm in the center.
9. This reheats well in the microwave.
10. It would be easy to cut this recipe in half!