Artichoke Bread Pudding

"Dating back to 11th century Europe, bread pudding was prepared with scraps of leftover bread, water, and sometimes spices or sugar, and consumed when fresh provisions were otherwise unavailable. Fast forward to modern times, and the dish is synonymous with cozy, custard-y comfort food, made with eggs and milk, and enhanced with other sweet or savory ingredients, depending on your mood. At Trader Joe’s, the mood we had in mind when creating our latest Bread Pudding offering was... Artichoke! Tender, faintly nutty artichokes are the first ingredient in Trader Joe’s Artichoke Bread Pudding—in fact, they comprise more than 20% of the recipe. Our Italian supplier combines them with cubes of hearty Tuscan bread (ideal for soaking up the rich, eggy custard base), plenty of Cheddar cheese, and a host of savory seasonings, like onion, garlic, parsley, and black pepper. Straightforwardly rich and cheesy in the best way, a dash of hot sauce adds intrigue to the recipe, allowing this craveable casserole to stand on its own as a vegetarian main dish or an equally inspired side. To top it off, the whole thing is ready to enjoy after about 25 minutes in the oven, or about eight in the microwave—talk about a mood booster!"