When I was a kid, on Saturday mornings or Sundays after church, my parents would occasionally take us to Bob’s Big Boy for their breakfast buffet. A veritable smorgasbord of all things bad for you, I used to tuck into the absolute same dish every single time – a big plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, home fries (the deep fried square kind), a mixture of cooked ham, peppers and onions, and cheese sauce over all. It was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Like taste bud good and cholestoral bad news. But whatever – I was a kid and as much as I didn’t care about 401Ks and Roth IRAs, I wasn’t really invested in wholesome ingredients at the breakfast buffet. It was Big Boys for goodness sakes.
I’m older and wiser now, with (at least I like to think) a more discriminating palette. The equivalent of breakfast cheese fries and eggs (which were probably dehydrated for all I know) don’t have the same appeal. And yet, the strange combination of peppers, onions and ham has stuck with me all these years. It was odd – the diced ingredients were kept warm in a broth of sorts, keeping the ham moist and the onion mellow. In an effort to recreate some atavistic memory of my childhood, I set upon a method of recreating this Western blend for a breakfast of my past. Served atop delicately scrambled eggs and sharp cheddar cheese, it may not be the low-brow brunch of my yester-years, but it still manages to make me smile. And given the wholesome ingredients, your arteries are not at risk 😉
Easy Western Scramble
1/2 c. of diced onion
1/2 c. of diced green bell pepper
1/2 c. of canadian bacon, diced
1 c. of water
1 tsp. of salt
pinch of finely cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. of olive oil
4 eggs
splash of whole milk
1/4 c. of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbs. of butter
To a small pot, add the onion, bell pepper, canadian bacon, water, salt, pepper and olive oil. Bring contents to a boil, and then immediately turn off the heat. Let sit while you prep your eggs.
In a shallow dish, scramble eggs and milk together, making sure not to overbeat. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When warm, turn heat to low and add butter to the pan. Swirl butter around the pan to slick the bottom and then add the eggs. As the eggs slowly cook, use your spatula to push the curds to opposite sides of the pan and allow the uncooked egg to run across the surface of the hot pan. Continue gently pushing the egg around until it is all cooked and just set – I like mine still a bit glossy and wet, but cook to your liking. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and allow to melt from the heat of the warm eggs. With a slotted spoon, scoop up some of the ham, pepper and onion mix and top a portion of the eggs. Dig in to straight up breakfast comfort.
