After the presents are all opened and everyone is hungry, this savory breakfast will fill everyone up.
Becky Low shares how to make a yummy breakfast pie.
Christmas Potato Pie
8 ounces bacon, scrambled fried
1 double unbaked 9” pie crust
7 eggs, divided
2 pounds potatoes
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup shredded cheese
Cheese sauce (recipe for Mornay or Gorgonzola Sauce below
Chop bacon and scramble fry until crisp. Drain and blot excess fat with a paper towel; set aside.
Hard boil 6 eggs, peel and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scrub and evenly slice potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices (a mandoline slicer works well for this). Do not rinse potatoes, the starch is used to help thicken the pie. Place potatoes in microwave safe bowl.
With a fork, whisk together sour cream, cream, salt and pepper. Pour sauce over potatoes and toss to coat. Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high 5 minutes; stir potatoes, cover and microwave an additional 3-4 minutes or until slices are tender. Set aside to cool at least 10 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.
Roll one pie crust and line a deep dish pie plate. Arrange about ⅓ the potatoes potatoes in the bottom of the pie plate, overlapping slices; sprinkle with about ⅓ the cheese; spoon 2-3 tablespoons sauce over potatoes. Repeat with a second layer of potatoes; slice 4 hard boiled eggs and arrange over potatoes; sprinkle with about ⅓ the crumbled bacon; spoon 3-4 tablespoons sauce over potatoes. Repeat a third layer of potatoes, remaining eggs, ⅓ of the bacon, remaining cheese, and remaining sauce. Gently press to pack slices down.
Dampen edge of pie crust with a wet finger. Roll out remaining pie crust, and place on top of potatoes. Press edges of pastry crust together to seal; trim excess crust, and flute or crimp the edge.
Separate remaining egg and beat yolk with 1-tablespoon water. Brush egg wash over top of pie. Cut vent in top crust. Bake 50-65 minutes or until potatoes are tender and crust is flakey and golden brown.
While pie is baking, prepare an optional cheese sauce or combination of both sauces below as desired. Warm as needed. Serve warm pie with cheese sauce, garnished with remaining crumbles of bacon. Serve with fresh fruit and a cold glass of milk.
Notes:
The title says Christmas Potato Pie, but I enjoy it all year. It’s called Christmas Potato Pie because it’s a nice switch from Breakfast Casserole Christmas morning. Your family will love the new swap. Serves 8-10
Mornay or Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons flour
2 cups warm milk (I prefer whole milk)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg, optional
2 ounces shredded Gruyere or other cheese (½-cup)
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, add 2-tablespoons flour and cook until frothy (don’t brown). Whisk in warm milk. Continue to stir and cook until and starts to bubbly. Remove from heat, add seasonings to taste (this is a bechamel or white sauce). Add cheese and stir until melted (now it’s a Mornay sauce). Sauce will thicken as it cools. If a thicker sauce is prefered, use 3-tablespoons flour (or more).
If sauce cools and thickens too much or to reheat stored cold Mornay sauce, place in microwave. On medium heat, and in 30-40 second intervals, heat and stir until warm and melted.
Gorgonzola Sauce
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
⅓-½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 3-4 oz)
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
minced fresh parsley or basil
Place cream in heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Watch cream closely to avoid boiling over. Reduce heat, as needed, to maintain a constant boil. Continue to boil, stirring frequently, watching closely to avoid boil over. Boil until cream has slightly thickened similar to a thin white sauce and has reduced in volume (cook about 30-45 minutes).
Remove cream from heat, add cheeses and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with minced parsley or basil.
Sauce will thicken as it cools. It may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. If refrigerated or if it cools too much, melt sauce slowly over low heat, whisking to keep sauce blended. Serve sauce warm.
Becky Low represents The Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada. For delicious dairy recipes and nutrition information go to
www.dairycouncilutnv.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/DairyUTNV.
For nutrition research go to www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
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