This is one of those recipes that we can't believe it took us this long to discover. We found it in Gourmet Magazine, December 2008, while searching for quick breakfast food that could be served to a crowd on a busy morning, say for example, Christmas Day. There are so many good things to say about this recipe it's hard to know where to start. The final product is a satisfying melange of fluffy egg, melted Gruyere and herbal thyme. The recipe itself takes almost no time to put together, thanks to the use of a blender, one of our favorite kitchen appliances. Not to mention that you can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (we've done them all). It is also very flexible and ripe for substitutions. We replaced the original chives with fresh thyme, and though we added cooked bacon pieces in one version we made; leftover ham or sausage would also be wonderful. We used Trader Joe's Light Organic Whipped Cream Cheese, which worked very nicely to stabilize the eggs and milk. If you are looking for something sweet to serve on an early holiday morning, stay tuned for our breakfast bread pudding.
2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (6 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
10 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese, whipped or softened
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (2 inches deep). Sprinkle Gruyère and thyme evenly in dish.
2. Blend eggs, milk, cream cheese, nutmeg, pepper and salt in a blender until smooth. Pour egg mixture over Gruyère and thyme in dish and bake until puffed, set, and golden, approximately 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
