Old South Plantation Pudding

This is a very old and delicious Southern recipe.

1 cup coarsely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced carrots
2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups chicken stock, divided
2 cups whole wheat bread cubes
3 cups diced cooked chicken
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a 2-quart saucepan, simmer onions, garlic, carrots, green pepper and mushrooms in 3 cups of the chicken stock, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add bread cubes. Stir in chicken, hard-cooked eggs and parsley. Turn mixture into a 2-quart casserole.

Heat the remaining cup of stock. Beat the raw eggs in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the heated stock to the eggs while continuing to beat. Pour over mixture in casserole. Cover casserole and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set.