Broccoli "Souffle"

Remember that time I had a blog? Snort.

A friend recently shared that she misses me blogging at all posting recipes. This one was a hit at our kids ornament exchange last weekend, so I wanted to pass it on.

My friend Maggie first made this at one of our sleepovers. I've made some minor tweaks from the original, but man, is it good. It's not truly a soufflé (note the quotation marks), but it has a yummy, custardy finish that reminds me of one. It's a favorite in our house and sure to be a show-stopper at your next brunch.

Broccoli "Souffle"
Adapted from The Splendid Table

1 large loaf of white French bread
1 large head of broccoli
8 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
8 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Tear the soft, white insides of the French bread into bite-size pieces (feed the crusts to your three year old, toast into croutons, or toss outside for the birds). Cover the bottom of the baking dish generously with the torn bread. Chop the broccoli florets into bite-size pieces and sprinkle over the bread.

Whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix in one cup of shredded cheese. Pour over broccoli and bread, making sure to coat evenly. Top with remaining shredded cheese (we like lots of cheese, but you can use less if you don't live in Wisconsin).

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Delish!