Sunday, May 30, 2010

Dutch Oven Breakfast

1 cube butter or margarine
1-2 cups chopped ham
onion to taste (I usually use 1-2 Tbls. minced onion)
1 bag of frozen hash browns (we like the shredded best but either will work)
1 doz. eggs
4 c. shredded cheese (or however much you like)
salt and pepper
ketchup (optional)

Melt margarine in 14 inch dutch oven (you can use a liner for easy clean-up). Add ham and onion and cook until onion is tender. Add frozen hash browns and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until hash browns are done. Crack eggs on top. You can scramble the eggs and leave on top until cooked or you can stir them in with the hash browns and stir until eggs are set. You can also 'fry' the eggs by removing the coals from the bottom of the dutch oven leaving just the coals on the lid. Cook until they are set. Add cheese and let sit until cheese melts. This can also be made in a skillet in the house. The only thing I do different is slide the hash brown mixture to one side and then scramble the eggs on the other side. Then mix together and add cheese. Our family LOVES this breakfast! We didn't start scrambling the eggs until Brandy came along:) ... evidently she doesn't like runny yolks.

For dutch oven cooking... if you are using a 14" dutch oven, you will need 28 coals, 12 on bottom and 16 on top to produce a 350° oven. If you are using a 16" dutch oven you would need 32 coals, 14 on bottom and 18 on top.

Quiche

Brush 1 frozen pie crust with frothy egg white. Bake crust at 400° for 7 minutes (do not prick crust).

1/2 c. cubed ham
1/4 cube butter or margarine
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 small can mushrooms

Fry the above ingredients in skillet until onion is tender.

Whisk:
4 eggs
1 c. half & half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

Don't overbeat eggs. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded swiss cheese in bottom of baked crust. Add ham mixture, then egg mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg (optional... I have never used the nutmeg). Reduce oven heat to 375° and bake for approx. 35 min. or until knife comes out clean.

I got this recipe from Grandma Berlin when my kids were little. It is a favorite in our family... by far the best Quiche I have ever had! When we were in St. George, Brian mentioned how good it sounded but unfortunately, it wasn't on the blog so we couldn't make it:(. We have had it for dinner more times than for breakfast... we have even made it when we are camping in a dutch oven (you just have to use refrigerated pie crust instead of the frozen. Enjoy!