Ham & Cheese Breakfast Eh.....Something

Grocery stores often have a clearance or quick sale rack, mainly with bakery items. The Joe store has this awesome Almond Poppy Seed cake that's a great buy at their discount prices, but it's hard to find because everybody else seems to love that particular cake too. So when I am able to score one, I am thrilled. And so are my arteries, I am sure, since this cake is riddled with all kinds of sugars and fatty stuff. 

Another item to find on these racks is day old Italian loaves, at less than a dollar a piece, and that's what we're cooking with today. Every now and then I will take home one of those loaves, slice and wrap it and freeze it for later use. It's the basis for a great breakfast/brunch dish, so let's get started. I just don't know what to call it, so if you have a suggestion, do mail me! 

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Something 

 1/2 loaf of day old Italian loaf, cubed

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup of cheese

1/2 cup of milk

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

6 slices of ham, cut into 1 inch pieces (you can also use salami, bologna or turkey)

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

3 tablespoons of mustard

pepper, optional

*if you don't care for mustard, you could also try adding fresh garlic and some black olives for a more Mediterranean dish. Stir in a teaspoon of your favorite herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or Italian seasoning for extra dimension. * Grease an oven dish with half of the butter or olive oil. Add the rest to a bowl, add the onion and microwave for three minutes or until onion is soft. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and mustard, add pepper if you wish. Toss the bread with the onion, and one cup of cheese and the ham pieces and lay out in the greased oven dish, pour over the milk/egg mixture, add the rest of the cheese on top and bake in an oven at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. You can check to see if the dish is ready by inserting a knife in the middle, if it comes out clean it's done.

This is great served immediately with some ketchup and a hot cup of coffee, especially on a cold day such as today!