Meatless Craving: "Breadsagna"

Sunday at 6AM, deployment completed.  Check!  (deep inside, ecstatic)  Time for Sunday morning TV and Rachael Ray's on Food Network - perfect.  Lasagna made of stale bread?  Genius!  So I'm not really taking credit for this fine recipe, rather - I'm promoting it as an alternative to the usual lasagna pasta dish.  It took me 30 minutes to make it, and I only had to buy the spinach, but every other ingredient is available in our pantry.  Also, it's vegetarian, so just about anybody would love it.  I did - I contained myself from finishing the whole dish, and shared with dearest hubby.  I was sooo happy it turned out the way it did - just see the pictures below!

Ingredients for One Serving of Mushroom & Spinach Breadsagna

2 slices of stale (or old frozen) french bread cut 5" long, 1/2" thick

1 egg

1/3 cup of half-and-half

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 pcs of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

A handful of baby spinach

1/4 cup moscato (or any white wine)

1/3 cup chicken stock

Olive oil

1 tbsp butter

A pinch of dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary

Salt & pepper

Triple cheddar cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven at 350F.

Soak the bread in beaten egg, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

Saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil until tender.  Deglaze with wine and chicken stock.  Add all your herbs and salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and cook only until the leaves are wilted.

Grease your baking dish (I used a single-serve 5" x 5" stoneware) with butter.  Line with the bread first, then mushroom and spinach mixture, then cheese.  Add your second layer of bread, then top with cheese and butter.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 mins or until the cheese is melted and slightly crusty.

I must say, I was nervous making this dish - stale bread for lasagna?!  But the result definitely made me an even bigger fan of Rachael Ray.  Next time I'll try it with sausage (but this one's perfect as it is), just so hubby can get his meat fix. :-)