Bacon and Cheese Oven-Puffed Pancakes

Brinner = Breakfast for Dinner AKA the oldest food substitute in the books. We all know it from those busy nights in elementary school when mum was too busy to make a real dinner so we were rewarded with the ever-so-delicious SECOND breakfast of the day. If we were even luckier, she was too busy to actually make yet another breakfast.  The best news? You can even make it healthy, so there’s no guilt for having breakfast twice that day, or every day.

Brinner is so versatile you could have it every day of the week: from savory oven-puffed pancakes to sweet french toast and everything in between.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off

1-1/4 cups whole milk (or substitute 1/4 cup heavy cream + 1 cup skim milk)

2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (optional: add your favorite cheese)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 slices (4 oz) thinly sliced bacon (optional: turkey bacon, ham)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk, whisking until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cheese and chives.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter around. Sprinkle the bacon evenly around the pan. Pour the batter over the bacon, then use a fork to be sure the ham is evenly distributed. Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes. It will appear puffed straight out of the oven but will quickly collapse. Cut the pancake into thin wedges and serve. (Remember that the pan is hot; I usually place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle as a reminder.)

The pancake is best served fresh out of the oven. However, leftover slices can be reheated in the microwave.

Note: Unlike a Dutch baby where the edges of the pancake will remain puffy after coming out of the oven, this pancake should puff up a bit in the oven to about 1½ inches high all over, then settle to about ½ inch high as it cools.  Serves 4