I have heard the calls on the left warning against simply going back to brunch now that Trump has been defeated. And there is still so much work to do, starting with gains in Georgia and then working to achieve actual progress.
However, we are now approaching eight months of living with the pandemic, and I am really missing going out to eat. Being immunocompromised, and not willing to risk my life for a meal, I don’t dare enter a restaurant. Especially after this week, just for once, it’d be really nice to go out to brunch or, frankly, to a bar and kvetch with friends and loved ones. And a girl’s gotta eat sometimes.
Though delivery is an option (if not the same as seeing friends), there are few options for round-the-clock breakfast items, and eggs and hashbrowns, etc., just don’t keep as well once in a plastic container. On top of that, it takes out the spontaneity of deciding to go out to breakfast when you just really have a craving or really need to grumble over biscuits and gravy.
Thankfully, I found a semi-solution.
One of my favorite foodie sites Serious Eats had a Denver omelet recipe I found recently, and I could finally taste the joy of round-the-clock brunch, straight from the kitchen.
I still think my technique could be improved, and it’s still not the same as being able to wait 20 minutes (I’m a late riser, which considerably cuts down on waiting!) to sit at a booth to get diner food, but boy is it still a comfort in these times.
Here’s what I did, perhaps overdoing it on the meat and veggies and cheese but still enjoying my monstrosity:
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 oz. shredded pepper jack pepper (I’m sure I used more)
- 2 T. butter, divided
- 3 oz. ham slices, cut into ½ in. pieces (I didn’t precisely measure)
- ½ large bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- Pinch of smoked paprika
Directions
In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until the eggs are homogeneous and frothy. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 9- to 10-in. Skillet (cast iron or nonstick) melt half the butter over medium-high heat, swirling until lightly browned. Add the bell pepper and onion, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown. Add the ham and cook further until the ham slices are browned in spots. Stir in the smoked paprika and some additional ground pepper. Scrape vegetables into a medium bowl (glass, or otherwise heatproof) and add the cheese, stirring to combine.
Wipe out skillet and set over medium heat. Add the remaining half of the butter and cook until melted and lightly browned. Re-whisk the eggs until foamy, and then add to skillet and cook, using a spatula to push the edges toward the center and tilting the pan to spread the uncooked egg underneath. Continue the process around the skillet until the eggs are almost set.
Sprinkle the ham and cheese mixture over half the omelet, remove from heat, and cover, letting the omelet sit until mostly or fully cooked through on the top, about one minute. Use the spatula to loosen the edges and carefully fold the omelet in half to enclose the filling. Split in half and serve, preferably with some hash browns and coffee, and enjoy!