Three Cheese & Artichoke Bread Pudding

I took a cooking class and this was one of the standout recipes - I am posting it here so everyone can enjoy it. There were several people in our class that didn't even like artichokes and they gobbled this up.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 1⁄2 cups  whole milk
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 6  slices  day old  bread, torn into small pieces
• 5  eggs
• 1  cup  minced herbs (tarragon, basil, chives, thyme, marjarom, mint, italian parsley)
• 1  cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon  smoked spanish paprika
• 1⁄8 teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 10  ounces frozen artichoke hearts (thawed & chopped)
• 1⁄4 lb parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• 1⁄4 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 lb gruyere, grated
•  butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees - preferably convection oven. Generously butter a 3 quart souffle dish (or if you prefer a crustier souffle with more crisp edges use a 2 inch deep by 10 inch roasting pan).
2. Beat the milk and cream together in a shallow container. Add the bread to the milk and cream - set aside to soak for 15 minute.
3. Meanwhile whisk the eggs, herbs, spinach, paprika, nutmeg, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Squeeze the bread gently to extract the milk. Whisk the milk into the egg-herb mixture. Stir in the soaked bread, the artichokes and the cheese.
4. Pour into the buttered baking dish. Dot the top with butter. Bake in a preheated overn for 35-40 min or until golden brown on top, set in the center and bubbling.