You really do need to have something besides sourdough bread and cookies to eat. So today I'm offering a breakfast dish that's loaded with protein rather than carbohydrates. Bacon-Swiss Bake is a light casserole with enough bacon and Swiss cheese in it to flavor it but not so much that the dish is greasy or leaden in your tummy. The major protein hits in the dish are eggs and low-fat cottage cheese. The two meld with the bacon and Swiss cheese into a lovely, light casserole. A little Parmesan cheese provides a savory sharpness. Some minced dried onions and chives add additional flavor to the casserole. Don't be tempted to use fresh onions instead of the dried variety. The dried onions provide flavor, and they also soak up some of the moisture from the cottage cheese so the dish is smooth rather than runny. This is a simple breakfast casserole that you can put together in a few minutes. Enjoy your first cup of coffee or tea (maybe with a piece of sourdough bread?) as the casserole bakes and another cup when the dish comes out of the oven in about 30 minutes, golden brown and filling the kitchen with the mouthwatering scent of bacon and Swiss cheese.
Bacon-Swiss Bake -- Serves 4+
16 ounces of low-fat cottage cheese (2 cups)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon of minced dried onions
1 tablespoon of dried minced chives
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3-4 tablespoons of bacon crumbles
1 1/4 cups of shredded Swiss cheese, divided
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat a medium-large (1 1/2 - 2 quarts) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, the minced onions, minced chives, onion powder, and pepper. Whisk them until they are well blended and a little frothy--about three minutes. Stir in the bacon crumbles and 1 cup of the shredded Swiss cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Swiss and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake the casserole for 30-35 minutes or until it's set and golden brown on top. Let the casserole cool a few minutes before serving it.
