Individual Baked Omelets

When it comes to breakfast, I dine in the rut. It's either peanut butter and jelly sandwiched between whole wheat bread or granola and yogurt. Sometimes on Thursdays, which is biscuit and gravy day at school, I'll shuck routine and indulge

Lack of time and the fact that my brain cells don't charge until noon, keep me from deviating from my breakfast routine. Though last year I tried a recipe that allowed me to shake up my breakfast routine. The recipe is for individual baked omelets from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. I found that I could prepare these omelets during the weekend and that they heated up nicely in the microwave. When these omelets are between a sliced English muffin, they make the perfect breakfast sandwich.

In independent studies conducted by me, eating a breakfast sandwich raises one's mojo and morning tasks are completed with 75 percent more gusto than those who eat yogurt and granola.

Don't rely solely on my scientific evidence, give this recipe a shot and tell me what you think. Be sure to adapt the recipe to fit the ingredients you have on hand and put your personal twist on the recipe.

Individual Baked Omelets
(From Rebecca Rather's book The Pastry Queen)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium potato peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes.
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
• 1 fresh tomato, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• dash of Tabasco

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6 Texas-size (3 1/2 inches diameter and 2 inches deep) muffin cups. I found my Texas-size muffin cup pan at Wal-Mart, so you should be able to track one down. If you don't have a Texas muffin tin, simply use a ramekins.
   
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add potato, onion, and half of the salt. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 15 minutes longer. Remove the vegetable mixture form the heat and stir in bacon and tomato.
3. Whisk the eggs, cream, remaining salt, pepper, and hot sauce together in large bowl. Stir in the vegetable mixture. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the muffin cups.
   
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until firm.

A similar recipe can also be found Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman Cooks, a book I'm currently enjoying. I encourage you to check it out.

make mine with spinach and feta,
muddy