I came across this recipe in a magazine and was waiting to try it out.It took 'lazy' me to buy all the ingredients after 4 days of contemplating.Finally on a stormy pouring night,the French Baguette Casserole came to life :)
Here is the recipe:-
Ingredients:-
- 12 oz of fresh spinach,rinse well
- 2 loaves of french bread/baguette
- olive oil for brushing the baguette and also saute
- 1 onion-thinly sliced
- 8oz sliced mushroom(can be substituted with chicken as well)
- 1and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 ounces grated cheese(of your choice...I used mozzarella)
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- salt and ground pepper(for taste)
- grated nutmeg(optional)
Method:-
- In a medium pot,bring water to a boil(add some salt).Add spinach and let cook for 2 mins.Drain the spinach in a colander and squeeze dry with a cloth or a bounty.Roughly chop and set aside.
- On a angle,cut the french baguette into 1/2" thick slices.Using a basting brush,lightly oil both sides of each slice with olive oil.Spray your favorite casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of the dish with the bread.
- Over medium heat,warm a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.Add the onion and saute until fragrant(for about 1 min).Add the sliced mushrooms and saute & cook until they are soft and tender.Add ground cumin and spinach and stir until the cumin is coated over the veggies.
- Layer the cooked veggies mixture over the baguette slices evenly until the bread is well coated.
- Layer the cheese over the veggies,depending on how much you would like.
- In a medium size bowl,whisk the eggs and milk and add salt & ground pepper.
- Gently and evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread and veggies.Cover the dish an leave it in the refrigerator for 30-45 mins.
- After an hour,preheat the oven to bake at 375 degrees and uncover the casserole.Let it bake for 35-40 mins or until the cheese turns to a golden brown.Knife inserted in the center should come out moist but relatively clean.
- Let it cool and then serve in portions with a dash of ground pepper or nutmeg.
