Move over, stuffing: panade is an upscale alternative

"Having reached age 30, it's not often that I find a food so amazingly delicious that it forces me to wonder why I've never had it before. Sure, I'll sometimes have new variations on pasta or risotto or veggies that are so good they're worth remembering. But rarely do I find a dish that is both unlike anything I've had before and so, so scrumptious that I want to eat all five servings of it in one sitting."

That is the review I found when I googled "panade," and I could not have said it better myself.

What's panade, you might ask?

Panade is stuffing's ancestor, and a great alternative to more traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, which is the theme of this month's relish® magazine, which comes out Friday.

After reading through the magazine, I had to try this panade, which is a celebration of the union of soggy bread and soft and gooey gruyére cheese.

"If you're tired of the same old stuffing but still want the familiar flavors, try a panade this year," according to relish. "Stuffing's European ancestor, panade is a layered casserole that is a moist, tasty and exciting sin on classic turkey dressing. Think French onion soup with more bread, less soup and additional vegetables."

relish® Magazine offers two recipes in their pre-Thanksgiving issue, the spinach and mushroom panade and the butternut squash and cheese panade. I opted for the spinach and mushroom panade, since I have had my share of butternut squash lately and, frankly, didn't feel like fooling with one on my Sunday afternoon.

I made it according to the relish® recipe and let me just tell you what I learned.

Number one: I have fallen in love with gruyére cheese, which I found at Kroger. I wasn't certain I'd be able to find it there (it's in the gourmet cheese section next to the deli), but the recipe says you can use Swiss if gruyére isn't available. I can't imagine the panade being nearly as remarkable if I had used Swiss, though.

Number two: Panade is a promoter of peace! If I ever host Thanksgiving in my lifetime I will serve panade over stuffing any day. Since I'm from the north and my husband's from the south, I'm certain this would settle the dispute over what's better, dressing or stuffing. In fact, I really don't like comparing it to stuffing at all, as relish does, because to me it's in a league of its own.

Number three: Panade, the best relish recipe I've made to date, works as a dish on its own, so there's no need to save it until the holidays. The best part about panade is that after baking for an hour-plus, the soggy bread and the cheese mesh together so well you can hardly distinguish them from one another.

I was alone this weekend and didn't feel like making a turkey to go with the panade so I ate it alone and was completely satisfied with this warm, messy, gooey, cheesy, hearty delight.

I plan to reheat it later today, and I hope it's just as good as a leftover.

On a side note, relish® says panade is ideal for the holidays because you can make it up to a day in advance. Also, once it's baked, you can hold it covered foil in or near a warm oven for up to an hour. You may want to take advantage of this tip on the big day, when the oven is overcrowded.

relish® comes out Friday. Be sure to check out this issue for interested alternatives to your favorite Thanksgiving classics.

Spinach and mushroom panade

10 (1/2 inch) slices of country-style sourdough bread (I used artisan sourdough, found in Kroger's bakery)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. minced frsh thyme or 1 tsp. dried

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 16 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 1/2 cups grated gruyére or Swiss cheese (I highly recommend gruyére)

3 to 4 cups chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Tear bread into 1-inch pieces and toast until lightly browned, stirring once, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a 12-inch sauté pan or skillet. When butter melts, add onions and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add mushrooms, garlic, wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms shrink, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in spinach.

4. Coat 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place half the bread in pan. Distribute half the onion mixture over bread and sprinkle on half the cheese. Repeat layers.

5. Slowly pour 2 cups broth over top, allowing bread to soak up broth and pressing with the back of a spoon. Add remaining broth until it reaches 1 inch below the pan's rim.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7. Cover pan with foil and place on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 35 to 35 minutes, until bubbling, puffed and deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 12.