Cheese-Rich Oven Omelet recipe from "Hot Dish Heaven"

Ann Burckhardt beats eggs for her hotdish
Ann Burckhardt uses an old-fashioned beater to prepare the eggs for her hotdish recipe.
MPR Photo/Cathy Wurzer

A generous Mankato, Minnesota, cook by the name of Bev Smith shared this recipe with me in the early days of my St. Peter bed-and-breakfast. It is her Christmas morning entree, she said, which explains the red pimento and the green parsley highlighting the rich cheese. It soon became popular with my guests.

I passed it along to the readers of Wake Up and Smell the Coffee -- Lake States Edition, a collection of bed-and-breakfast recipes compiled by laura Zahn. If a member of the family or a guest is a vegetarian, add the bacon last, taking out one portion just before that addition and baking the all-cheese omelet in an individual ramekin.

1/2 cup fried, crumbled bacon (6 slices) 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 2 to 3 tablespoons flour 2 to 3 tablespoons diced pimento, drained 3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, chopped 8 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F Prepare bacon -- bottled bacon pieces (sold by Hormel) can be used. Butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Place cheeses in a medium bowl and add flour; toss using two spoons or clean hands until cheese shreds are coated with flour. Place pieces of pimento and parsley leaves. Beat eggs and milk together. Pour over ingredients in the casserole.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and starting to brown. It will smell invitingly of cheese.

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