Not Your Average Thanksgiving Stuffing

Bored of regular stuffing? Emeril Lagasse takes the tradition Thanksgiving dish to a new level with this Spinach Artichoke stuffing.

While the ingredients list is a bit lengthy, even the worst of chefs can accomplish this (trust me, I’m speaking from experience). It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and an hour in the oven. It recipe makes 10-12 servings, so you can cook for a big crowd or have leftovers for days.

Grocery List:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds spinach, washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Emeril’s Italian Essence, or other Italian seasoning blend
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 (8 1/2-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, any tough outer leaves removed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 to 14 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old French bread (1 loaf)
1 pound Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Once you have all the ingredients together, the hard part is pretty much over.

• First preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

• Then, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted– about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible (it helps to use a paper towel and soak up the water), then roughly chop, and put aside.

• Next, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender– about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of Italian Essence, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant– about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

• Combine eggs, cream, chicken stock, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon Italian Essence, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley and stir. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.

• Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm and enjoy!

Bam.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/savory-spinach-and-artichoke-stuffing-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback