Sunday, February 21, 2010

WRECKfast of Champions

Dear Bernice,

This morning (oh, let's face it, afternoon) I made your Bacon 'n Egg Luncheon Pie. Though I'm wondering why you didn't just call a spade a spade and name it a quiche, this breakfast meal under any other name would still be a treat. Knowing I had promised my roommate brunch today, I managed to drag myself out of bed at 11am to hit up the grocery store for provisions. I realize when you made this recipe you probably got up at 5am or some such ungodly hour to cook for your family, but trust me, when you're 28 and live in New York City getting out of the house at 11am is quite an accomplishment. On my way to the grocery store, I passed several other young folks out getting breakfast for their loved ones. I must say it filled me with pride to know that I was making a nice home-cooked meal when they were carrying boxes of donuts and bags of bagels (not that those aren't delicious too). What's especially great about this luncheon pie is that it was so incredibly easy to make and I got all the credit of slaving away for hours in the kitchen! I do admit to having made a few changes to your recipe. First off, I didn't use strips of bacon because my sister gifted me with home-cured smoked bacon for my birthday. Store bought bacon is amazing, but homemade bacon really kicks it up a notch. We can't all be so lucky to have a sister with a smoker and a penchant for pork! I also added minced onions that I sauteed briefly in the bacon fat which I think added a nice flavor to the mix. I would also consider reducing the quantities in your recipe as I ended up with too much filling for my pie crust. I cooked the excess in a pie plate, but in the future I will reduce the cream and cheese measurements (and have in my adapted recipe below). I would also recommend experimenting with adding different vegetables like mushrooms or spinach - the great thing about a basic quiche is you really could throw just about anything in the mix. As for a side dish, I served myself some fresh grapefruit, but I think a nice salad of arugula would have complimented everything nicely.

Thanks again for contributing this recipe, which I will certainly be adding to my cooking repertoire.

All the Very Best,

Sam L.

Bacon 'N Egg Luncheon Pie
(Adapted from recipe by Bernice Bammann, Beecher H.S., Beecher, IL in Favorite Recipes of American Home Economics Teachers: MEATS Edition, Copyright 1962)

9 inch deep dish pie crust
10 slices of bacon cooked and drained
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup light cream
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup minced onion

Preheat oven to 375. Crumble bacon into pie shell. Saute onions in leftover bacon fat for several minutes until they begin to turn clear and are slightly browned. Beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper together. Mix in Swiss cheese, peas and onions (you may also choose to add other vegetable like mushrooms at this point). Pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick comes out clean from the center of the pie.















Today's Outfit:

A 70s polyester house robe that I stole from my mother many moons ago, red plastic beads and a nod to "Julie and Julia" in the form of a vintage lobster pin. I bought the pin on eBay after watching the movie on Netflix. Liked the movie, LOVED the pin.

1 comment:

  1. props on the bacon addition. it all heats up well too. we're basically a throwback kitchen anyway w/ our lack of microwave. toaster ovens rule!

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