It’s an egg-ceptional breakfast!

I just love eggs. They are so versatile and can be prepared in many ways. Sometimes when I’ve had a long day at work and I’m not in the mood to cook up a full meal I make omelets for dinner. Omelets are almost the perfect meal…fast, easy, and the right combination of protein and fat needed after a full day at work or an evening workout. However this post isn’t about my beloved omelets, it’s about an egg bake.

Because of my egg affinity I try to make an egg bake once a week. It serves dual purposes in our household; breakfast in the morning for the hubs and lunch in the afternoon for me. I always vary the ingredients since I use whatever I have on hand in the refrigerator or pantry, but I always include eggs (duh-of course), veggies, and some sort of meat based protein. For this week’s egg bake I used leftover veggies and sausage from a pizza party we had this past weekend. It’s a great way to use toppings that may have otherwise gone to waste plus we get our daily dose of protein and veggies (score!).

It tastes amazing right out of the oven, but it heats up really well in the microwave too. I top it with avocado and a little hot sauce for lunch and hubs usually puts it in a tortilla for his breakfast. It keeps us both on track, health wise, and eliminates the need to make so many breakfasts and lunches during the week.

Now time for the recipe! A note worth mentioning, the ingredients are totally interchangeable so if there is a particular veggie or meat you don’t like you can substitute your preference and it won’t affect cooking temperature or time.

Ingredients:

14 eggs
1/2 cup of almond or cashew milk (regular milk works too)
1 red bell pepper diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 6 ounce can of black pitted olives
1 lb of ground pork (hot Italian spicy) cooked in a skillet until browned
2 tomatoes diced
1 package of mushrooms sautéed
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a glass baking dish (13X9) with cooking spray. I use coconut oil spray from Trader Joes. Beat eggs and milk until frothy. Add vegetables, cooked pork, cheese, and spices to egg mixture and pour into dish. Place in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. Remove when top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool since it comes out lava hot!

Wine to pair? Well…..technically this is a work week meal and since we’re not in France it’s kind of frowned upon to drink at breakfast or during work (even though I think I’d be a much more pleasant individual after a glass of wine with lunch). However let’s just pretend you’re making this delicious egg bake on Saturday or Sunday for brunch when it’s completely acceptable (almost necessary really) to have a drink. I would pair this dish with a nice dry/brut sparkling wine or champagne because bubbles are exactly what eggs need. I’m currently loving the sparkling wine from Scharffenberger Cellars that we recently found on our last trip to Mendocino and would definitely pour a glass of their bubbly with this meal.  As they say in France, Bon Appetite!

http://scharffenbergercellars.com/index.html