Name: Blackened Spinach Bread Pudding
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Two 10-ounce packages of chopped frozen spinach, or a bit more than two pounds of fresh spinach leaves, washed and trimmed; 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil; 1 1/2 pounds of cremini or button mushroom caps, sliced (use the stalks for stock or duxelles*); 2 Tbsp onion slices, crumbled, or 1/2 cup finely chopped sautéed onion; 1 Tbsp Blue Grass N12; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 1 tsp salt; 1 Tbsp butter, plus more for the pan; 1 cup whole milk (or non-dairy milk if you like); 8 eggs; 6 thick slices of challah or brioche, torn or chopped into large pieces

I love bread pudding but am not always in the mood for something sweet. This recipe is inspired by a dish I had in New Orleans, and by Lior's pkaila (a Tunisian spinach stew). Spinach and mushrooms are cooked until the flavors concentrate, then combined with challah, milk, and eggs, plus our Blue Grass blend and nutmeg, to make a delightfully savory dish.

Blackened Spinach Bread Pudding

Author: Christian Leue
Servings: 6
Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Two 10-ounce packages of chopped frozen spinach, or a bit more than two pounds of fresh spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of cremini or button mushroom caps, sliced (use the stalks for stock or duxelles*)
2 Tbsp onion slices, crumbled, or 1/2 cup finely chopped sautéed onion
1 Tbsp Blue Grass N12
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter, plus more for the pan
1 cup whole milk (or non-dairy milk if you like)
8 eggs
6 thick slices of challah or brioche, torn or chopped into large pieces

Directions

Defrost your spinach and then wring as much water as possible out with your hands. If starting from fresh spinach you can blanch in salted water, or wilt in the microwave in a covered dish (this retains nutrients a bit better), then cool and squeeze out any excess water.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet and add the spinach in an even layer. Meanwhile to another pan add the mushroom slices, onion, Blue Grass, nutmeg, and about a cup of water‡, heat on high.
Cook the spinach, stirring often, until it's given up most of its moisture and is dark, adding a bit more olive oil if anything starts to stick. For the mushrooms continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the tablespoon of butter and reduce the heat to medium, stirring often.
The spinach if done when it's crisp in places and has colored the olive oil green. The mushrooms should be browned in spots and still have a bit of moisture to them.
Set the mushrooms and spinach aside, and preheat your oven to 350°F.
Butter a loaf pan or a 9 x 9" baking dish. Mix the spinach, mushrooms, and bread pieces together and add them.
Thoroughly mix the milk and eggs (a blender works great), and pour this mixture into the pan, poking it in places so it settles evenly.
Bake until set (about 40-50 minutes). Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, and serve hot. Fantastic with sauce Béarnaise or Hollandaise.