Guest Chef Peggy

Sunday August 7, 2011
Breakfast Pizza (casserole)

Guest Chef Peggy: This is my little sister. She came all the way across town (8 blocks) to cook with me on a Sunday afternoon. We invited our mother to show her that we do know how to cook. We both have very demanding jobs and no little children anymore so cooking has gone by the wayside. She dove back into the recesses of her memory banks and remembered this recipe that she used to make for her kids. She called it Breakfast Pizza. I've seen similar recipes in cookbooks and they call it Breakfast Bake or Breakfast Casserole. I think Breakfast Pizza makes it sound more appealing so we are calling it breakfast pizza here today. We certainly made the kitchen smell scrumptious as we cooked the meats.  Lucky for us, the Breakfast Pizza not only smelled great it turned out famous. Peggy couldn't remember for sure how many eggs to use whether it should be 6 or 12 so we went with 12 (6 servings). She decided after me made it that she probably only used 6 in the past so that the sausage and bacon would be the focus instead of the egg. I love eggs so I liked it done with 12 eggs. So if you want it to be more like pizza I say use 6, if you want it more like a casserole then use 12. Either way, it will taste great.

Things I learned: Food can actually be very attractive. All three of the guest chefs have created very pretty food. I honestly never looked at the meals I made as a work of art before. I do think this is what I have been missing all along. Peggy suggested using the red peppers for nutrition as well as color to make it more attractive. She always was the artsy, creative one. She also suggested mixing everything the night before, covering and putting it in fridge. Then baking the next morning. I have always disliked frying bacon in a skillet due to over crowding and then having to pour the grease into a smaller container for disposal.  Peggy showed how to fry it on the griddle which proved much easier to lay the strips on, fry them individually and clean up the grease as it went right into the tray.

Peggy's Tip for a great Breakfast Pizza: (click on the video)

Breakfast Pizza Recipe just as we made it (for one 9 by 12 pan/baking dish)

Preheat oven to 350%

You'll need:

6 slices of bread

12 eggs beaten

1/2 pound (Oscar Myer) bacon

1/2 pound (Bob Evans) sausage

a couple of hand fulls of shredded cheddar and Colby cheese

1/4 onion chopped

1/4 red pepper chopped

salt and pepper to taste

First: Spray 9 by 12 pan with non stick spray

and arrange bread over the bottom of the baking dish

Then:

Mix eggs with whisk and pour over bread.

Let set while cooking and chopping the remaining ingredients.

Brown and Chop:

Brown Sausage and bacon

Chop onion and red pepper

  

Layer: sausage, bacon, onion, red pepper 

Salt and pepper

Top with cheese

Bake: Cover and bake for 30 minutes

Uncover and bake 10 minutes more 



So cute in grandma's apron



If you decide to make it with fewer eggs cut down on the baking time. You could omit the meat and add more vegetables if you prefer vegetarian. You could also substitute any other meats or cheeses. Use your favorites or what ever you have on hand. 

Add a little more cheese just before serving to freshen it up.



Serve with diced potatoes and fruit



Who thought my little sister could actually teach me anything. Thanks Peg another fabulous Cooking With Marilee day. We really should do this every Sunday.