Egg Bake

Prep Time - 15 minutes              Cook Time - 45 minutes                    Add to MyFitnessPal

I love to cook. I have a stressful job, I run a small farm, and sometimes the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen preparing wholesome, delicious food for myself and my family is just the sort of soothing I need. Many of my recipes are pretty involved and take quite a bit of time - this is not one of those recipes.


Reheats in the microwave? I'm in

There are days when I'm running late for work or when I simply don't want to deal with taking the time to make breakfast. There are days when a quick protein shake just won't cut it. This recipe is for days like this. It's pretty simple to make and you get 9 full, tasty, protein filled breakfast 'bars' when you're done. Or double it for 18 if you like. You can vary the filling to meet your tastes, but there is one ingredient that, although unconventional, is essential to making this egg bake truly delightful.

Ingredients:
Egg Whites - 3 cups
Cheddar or Mozzarella, shredded - 1 cup
Ham, diced - 5 oz
Bell Pepper, diced - 1 Large
Garlic, minced - 2 Tbsp
Kale, chopped - 1.5 cups
Almond Milk, unsweetened - 1 cup
Yellow or White Onion, Chopped - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Nutmeg (the secret ingredients) - 1 tsp

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 375F
First, prepare all of your ingredients - you're going to be using a single skillet for most of the prep work here, so having your mise en place is going to be a huge time saver. Oh, and I know it's a bit out there, but if you can get your hands on some goat ham rather than the usual pork, it's AMAZING and cuts down on the fat in the recipe handily.

So many colors, it's got to be good

Now that you've got everything prepped, heat up your skillet on medium heat. I typically use a well-seasoned cast iron, but anything will do. Once you can feel the heat radiating from about 7 inches above the pan, it's time to add your garlic and onion. Cook until transleuscent and just beginning to brown. Usually I like to brown my onions, but don't cook these quite so long - don't worry though, they'll be brown & caramelized by the time we're finished.

Just about perfect

Now add the red pepper and cook until soft but not yet beginning to brown. As with the onion, don't worry, the browning is coming.

Once your pepper are ready, add the kale and the ham simultaneously and stir into the mix. Allow to cook for 5 minutes or so until the kale is nicely wilted, the onions just beginning to brown, the peppers smelling up the kitchen and the garlic still fragrant. Just be sure to keep the heat on medium at the most - you don't want to char even a single chunk of garlic or you'll be tasting it through every bite.



Can I just eat it now?

If your partner (assuming you have one) is anything like mine, you'll have to keep a close eye on your work up until this point as he or she will likely try to pillage a few bits from the pan. Usually I love to share my food, but not before it's finished.

Lightly spray an 8X8 casserole dish (or something similar) with a light coat of nonstick spray (if you can get one, buy one of those oil misters so you never have to have the spray junk in your food again.) Add your egg whites, almond milk and nutmeg, be sure to mix thoroughly. It may seem odd to add nutmeg to an egg bake, but trust me, it's INCREDIBLE!

Now pour your filling from the skillet into your egg mixture, take care to spread it evenly throughout the mixture to ensure a uniform final dish.

Wait, where's the cheese?

Now sprinkle your cheese over the top of the egg mixture. You are welcome to mix it in if you prefer, but I think you'll be sorely disappointed, this dish is much better with the cheese over the top.



Ready for the oven - even if at this stage it does look less than appetising

Slide the entire mess into the oven at 375 and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover with foil and return to the oven for another 15-20 or until a knife inserted in the center comes out dry. It may have a tad of condensation from the steam, you're just wanting to ensure all of the egg has cooked. Allow to cool on the counter for 20 minutes or so before cutting into 9 pieces using a tic-tac-toe pattern.

Voila!

Once sliced up, the egg bake can be portioned out into individual containers for storage or kept in the dish and removed one piece at a time. This will keep for roughly 10 days in the fridge. To eat, simply remove a piece from the refrigerator, microwave for about a minute, and enjoy! I like mine with a little salsa.

Nutrition (per slice):
Calories: 119
Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 3 g
Protein: 16 g
Sodium: 464 mg