Savory Summer Breakfast Bake

Here's what we're cooking up at the Men's Shelter tomorrow morning.  Loved the flavors of Thursday's tomato pie and got such great feedback that we're trying this breakfast riff below.  We'll let you know how it turns out.  Happy Weekend!



Savory Summer Breakfast Bake
Serves 36 (Makes 2 hotel pans with 18 slices each)


For the egg pudding:

• 4 dozen large eggs, cage-free
• 1 gallon whole milk
• 2 TBS dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the breakfast bake:  

• 2 loaves challah or a good quality egg bread (about 2 lbs), cubed into 1" pieces
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 2 lbs ham steak, cubed into small dice 
• 4 bunches scallions, tops and bottoms trimmed and stalks chopped into thin rings
• 1 bunch summer greens like spinach, swiss chard or beet greens, leaves sliced into thin ribbons
• 2 lbs swiss cheese, grated
• 6 medium garden tomatoes, about 3 pounds 
• 1 bunch basil  sliced into thin ribbons
• Canola oil for brushing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Warm canola oil in a very large (commercially-sized)  saute pan.  Add ham and scallions and saute until ham is lightly browned and all juices have evaporated.  Add chopped greens to pan and saute until wilted.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In an XL mixing bowl (or better yet, a commercial mixer), whisk together the eggs, milk, dijon, salt and pepper.  If you don't have a commercially-sized mixing bowl at your disposal, we'd suggest dividing the wet ingredients in half and mixing up two batches of the egg pudding; a single batch could get unruly. 

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of two full-size hotel pans.  Scatter the diced bread in the bottom of each pan. Divide the ham mixture between the two pans and toss with the cubed bread.  Pour half of the egg custard into each pan and gently stir until all ingredients are covered by the custard. 

Slice each tomato in half and squeeze out excess juice and seeds.  Slice the tomatoes into very thin half-rings.  Arrange a single layer of tomatoes atop the egg custard in each pan.  Top each pan with a generous layer of cheese.  Press down lightly on the contents of each pan to ensure that all ingredients come in contact with the egg custard.

Tightly cover pans with an oiled piece of aluminum foil or a matching aluminum pan cover.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until eggs are fully set and cheese has lightly browned.   Serve hot or at room temperature.

Roasted Summer Peaches 
Serves 32

18 lbs good summer peaches (around here, the best are from Michigan and typically available at Stanley's or one of the many farmer's markets)
1/2 cup honey
1 TBS cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash peaches and arrange in a single layer on a commercially sized sheet pan (or use two smaller sheet pans).  Roast whole peaches for 30 minutes until soft to the touch.  Some charred spots may appear on the skin-- this is OK.  Remove peaches from oven and allow to rest until they are cool enough to handle.  Slice peaches into quarters (or eighths), removing the skin from each slice as you go.  Transfer peaches into a large mixing bowl and toss with the honey and cinnamon.  Serve warm or at room temperature.