Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

It may not look like the most appetizing dish from the above picture, but I promise this meal was delicious! At least, I thought it was delicious. Will, not so much. As soon as I told him I was trying out a new recipe for dinner, he asked what the main ingredients were. "Artichokes and goat cheese." His face fell. Seriously, you should have seen it. You would have thought that I told him I was serving liver and onions for dessert. Apparently, my husband has something against artichokes. I have no idea why; ever since I tried the Quattro Stagioni pizza in Italy, I fell in love with artichokes and use them whenever possible. But, I digress. I loved throwing this dish together for a quick weeknight dinner, but it can also be a fantastic side dish. I'm not a vegetarian, but my dear friend Justine is (check out her Halloween blog here!), and I'm going to try and include some more delicious meatless recipes for her.
Source: Cooking Light, March 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
• 1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat, and stir in herbes de Provence. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

5. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine.

6. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375°.
8. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

9. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top.

10. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.