Here I use fresh bread (ready NOW) instead of the oft-used day-old or 'pain-perdu' available only the day after you are actually on the line to produce dinner!
Bread and water won't cut it - but bread and eggs make a great base for a welcoming, soothing dish. ...one that you might well have ingredients for on-hand already - what a gift; just open the 'fridge and get cooking...
Missing something? Improvise!
6 eggs3 cups cubed good bread
2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 lb good aged cheddar cheese, cubed 1/4-inch, about 2/3 cup
2 green onions, sliced
Favorite hot sauce (I used Texas Pete's)
4 Tbsp panko crumbs
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, diced 1/4-inch, about 1-1/3 cup
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet. Gently brown the bread in the butter, tossing often for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minutes, stirring often.
Make the sauce. First melt the butter in the canola oil in a small sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk for about 2 minutes as the mixture bubbles. Add the milk and bring to a gentle boil, whisking every so often. Add the salt and mustard. Cook until well thickened and remove from heat.
Peel the eggs and quarter lengthwise. Place a quarter of the spinach in each of four oiled mini casserole dishes. Distribute half the bread cubes among the dishes. Nestle six quarters of egg in each dish among the bread cubes. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheddar on each dish followed by about a tablespoon of the green onions (you should be able to reserve about 2 Tbsp of the green tops for garnish). Season with hot sauce to taste.
Now distribute the white sauce evenly among the 4 casseroles, covering the egg and bread. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon pano crumbs on each casserole followed by a quarter of the mozzarella on each.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until brown and bubbly.
No comments:
Post a Comment