Savory Pan-Bake!

Fritella al Forno con Feta, Pomodorini & Pancetta
Oven-Baked Feta Cheese, Cherry Tomato & Bacon Pancake

 

Supper this evening was small, simple, sensible and delicious... which means it already has 4 good things going for it, before we even get started, lol! What made it sensible? Well- the fact that it used-up the last of the left-overs of this weeks groceries! What made it delicious- well, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, feta cheese and herbs for example? Need I say more? I know that you already trust me when I say it is simple to make- and yes, the portion I made was small- but you may want to make a larger version for yourselves... as it is pretty delicious!

So, now that we have covered those 4 aspects of my little savory pancake- let's get down to the details and get busy making it!

 

Although half of the cooking happens on the stove top, the good thing about this is that the other half of it takes place in the oven- making it a lot more convenient and low maintenance than something you have to tend to the whole time. And just look at the result! Yummy!

 

The ingredients were 2 eggs, 2 Spring onions, 1/2 a block of feta cheese, 6-7 cherry tomatoes, a handful of finely chopped bacon, 2 tablespoons of flour 1 cupful of milk and a little fresh parsley and thyme.

 

The main thing that made this different from a regular omelette or frittata was the addition of flour- which made it more of a pancake- and the main reason I added it was to give a little more body to it and to help absorb any excess moisture that came from the tomatoes, so that the batter remained nice and stable.

 

Start off by turning on your oven to get it nice and hot and by frying the bacon bits together with the Spring onion for 2-3 minutes. This will get them almost cooked through and will coat the pan with a little fat from the bacon, which will be plenty for this dish. Set the bacon and onion to one side to cool and prepare the batter in the meantime.

 

For the batter, simply stir the 2 eggs, the milk, the flour and 2/3rds of the crumbled feta cheese together thoroughly and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

 

Next, add the now cool bacon and onion, the diced cherry tomatoes and the parsley and thyme.

 

Sprinkle with the last 1/3rd of the feta cheese, a few more herbs, a last touch of pepper and nutmeg, and let it begin cooking on the stove top until the outer edges begin to bubble, then transfer to the oven to finish baking for 10-15 minutes at 180° until set, puffy and golden brown.

 

Yes, a very simple affair- but also a very satisfying and delicious one at the same time! Perfect for a quick and easy meal!

 

Go easy on the salt, because the feta cheese is already nice and savory- but don't skimp on the herbs! They are going to give a great balance and depth of flavor to combine salty bacon and cheese and the sweet tomato and mild eggs that go to make up this little creation.

 

And yes- this would be perfect to serve cold with a salad on the following day... only with it being Winter, you might want to just sit down and finish it off whilst it is nice and hot, to warm you up and make you feel better- and to worry about what you are going to eat in the morning... in the morning!
Enjoy!