Sunday, January 22, 2012

Kale & Bacon Omelet Baked in a Bread Boule


There are certain words that just make my skin crawl.  I won't bore you with the (longish) list, but one of the biggest offenders is "brinner."  I don't know why I hate it so much, but it just annoys me to no end when people say it.  Just say "breakfast for dinner."  It's really not that many more syllables.  And saying "brinner" doesn't really specify what you're eating:  it could be eggs and bacon, waffles or pancakes, omelets, oatmeal, cereatl, etc.  It's like saying that you're having dinner for dinner.  Or lunch for dinner.  I just don't get it.  However, I'm certainly not against the concept.  One of my favorite dinners growing up was eggs, grits, and biscuits.  And I'm up for pancakes and waffles any time of the day.

This is one of those ideas that I was annoyed that I didn't come up with on my own.  Bake an omelet in a bread boule.  Seriously, how ingenious is that?!  This particular omelet was really wonderful - lots of kale, Parmesan, ricotta, and just a little bacon.  But you could certainly mix up the add-ins with infinite possibilities.  Anything you like in an omelet or quiche would be wonderful here.  I am pretty partial to this combination though, partly because it is one of the only times Joey has actually enjoyed kale.  And not only did he like it, but he ate all the leftovers for breakfast for the rest of the week.  Tha'ts definitely a success, considering that he rarely eats breakfast at all.

This was such a unique presentation of an omelet.  I can't wait to play around with different variations.  And I think it would be so adorable to bake individual servings in sourdough dinner rolls (or really any roll that is hard and crusty).  The possibilities are endless!



Kale & Bacon Omelet Baked in a Sourdough Bread Boule
barely adapted from Virginia Willis, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all!
  • 2-3 thick-cut slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 5 cups kale cleaned, stems removed, and chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbs water or broth
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim is fine)
  • 1 8-inch round sourdough bread boule
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel to dry.  Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat.  Alternatively, if you want to make a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and heat 2 teaspoons of canola oil over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the onion and cook until softened and golden, stirring often, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Decrease the heat to medium-low, add half the greens, and toss until they begin to wilt, about 1 minute.  Add the remaining greens and season well with salt and pepper.  Add the water, decrease the heat to low, and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are wilted and tender, about 15 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the greens to a large bowl, leaving any excess water in the skillet.

Meanwhile, prepare the bread boule.  Slice off the very top of the bread and then remove the inside bread in chunks, leaving a shell.  Reserve the bread for another use (croutons, bread crumbs, etc).  Place the bread boule on the prepared baking sheet.

To the greens, add the eggs, 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, the reserved bacon, the red pepper flakes, and the Dijon mustard.  Fold in the ricotta and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the filling into the bread boule and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the eggs are set.  Allow to cool at least 10 minutes, and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Slice into wedges using a serrated knife, and serve.


20 comments:

branny said...

Yeah, this looks like a kale recipe my husband could get on board with, too. He still claims that kale tastes like plastic. I never knew plastic could taste so lovely :)

Bev Weidner (Bev Cooks) said...

I've just fallen out of my chair. YUM.

Angie @ Sweet Natured Treats said...

This looks so amazing. What a genius idea!

Anonymous said...

What an interesting but DELICIOUS looking food invention!! I've never had an omelette cooked like this before!

Bridget said...

I get together with a group of women once a month after work, and next month's theme is brunch. It blew their minds! "But we meet at night, how can we eat brunch at night?"

But these, I think I'm going to make for breakfast next weekend before skiing. They look perfect!

Michelle said...

Oh my lord. I need to have this soon. I don't think I can justify bread, cheese and bacon right now, so I think the second I get back from Mexico I'll have this!

Joanne said...

Breakfast for dinner is actually my favorite way to eat breakfast! (Is that weird?)

And I'd never say brinner. Ever.

This looks...kinda like heaven. In a boule.

Cara said...

What an awesome idea, I'd love to dig into that!

dinnerordessert said...

Ah I hate when I think I have the best recipe idea, google it and it's already been done. But either way this looks delicious!

Laura said...

Sooo....you're against "linner" too? Heh, I never got it either. I always say breakfast for dinner. This looks great! Love the use of the kale. And bacon. And cheese.

kita said...

I just spotted this on foodgawker and have to say it looks wonderful. I am just learning to love eggs, and the omelet has been my go to recently. I love this variation. And I'm with you, 'brinner' is a no go.

http://www.novicehousewife.com said...

This looks absolutely brilliant! BOokmarking it!

Annie said...

Oh my LORD I am making this soon.

Anonymous said...

I'm in love with how delicious this sounds ... all the flavours, melting together - - - ohhh myy!! I need this and soon!!

Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes said...

This IS a brilliant idea, Josie! Omelet and toast all in one. Love it.

Kelsey said...

I love this, Josie! What a fantastic way to solve the "How do I make omelettes for a crowd?" dilemma. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I made this for dinner tonight, and my husband and I both loved it!

Natalie said...

i am fascinated by this--i've had it starred since you posted, been meaning to come back and comment! I can't wait to try it! :)

Shumaila said...

I made this and did sub the add ins according to what I had on hand and like. LOved it! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! Have blogged about it as well. You can check the post here:

http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/spinach-mushroom-omelet-baked-in-a-bread-boule/

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I used to hate when people would abbreviate vacation with 'vacay.' Good grief, are you so lazy you can't say the entire word? Drove me insane. Now I just tune it out, haha. I'm so with you on the 'brinner' talk... I'm in love with this bread boule and the flavor combo you used.

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