Simple Bacon and Cheese Omelet
I love fancy food. Really, I do. I love complicated recipes, exotic ingredients, and dishes that take three days to make.
I have to admit, for all my gourmet inclinations, I also love all sorts of decidedly Not Fancy Foodstuffs. Especially things that make me feel like an eight-year-old again.
For example, I love American Cheese. And not even American cheese from the deli, that’s sliced to order from that big brick of cheese.
I’m talking about the processed, sliced stuff that’s usually nowhere near the deli counter. The stuff that’s next to those wax-encased Laughing Cow cheeses that are so good for some reason. The stuff that, if I didn’t know any better, might be made of plastic.
Here’s an omelet that puts it to good use. It’s got all the ingredients of a good diner omelet, but is about half the size and thickness.
Me being a mouse, you might expect a little cheese snobbery out of me. Not so. You could certainly make this omelet with a range of different cheeses. Any cheese that melts well would do. Gouda or fontina would be lovely. Maybe a little brie. Or even some Stilton, if you like blue cheese with eggs.
This makes a great breakfast or brunch, served with piping hot coffee and buttered toast spread thickly with jam.
Simple Bacon and Cheese Omelet: A note on technique
To me, the key to making a good omelet is to slice all the ingredients very thin, and use a minimal amount of egg. The result is almost like a crepe. Your ingredients cook quickly, and the whole thing is light and airy and won’t put you instantly to sleep.
Simple Bacon and Cheese Omelet
1/4 of an onion
1-2 rashers of bacon
1 large mushroom
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 jumbo egg
1 tsp. heavy cream
2 slices American cheese (or other cheese)
Makes 1 large, thin omelet. Serves 1 hungry person, or 2 who only feel like nibbling.
Simple Bacon and Cheese Omelet: Cut up your fillings
Dice up the bacon. I used some of this leftover bacon from my Cherry-Port Glazed Ribs Studded with Bacon.
Mince up your onion.
Pick a nice, fat mushroom. Snap off the stem, and slice it as thinly as you can.
Put the bacon in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
After a minute or so, the bacon will start to let out some fat. Add the onion and mushroom.
Give them a stir to combine, then spread them about evenly in your pan.
Sprinkle on a little kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Let those cook for a few minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, so they brown nicely. While you’re waiting, whisk up your egg.
Crack your egg in a medium-sized bowl and add the cream. If you don’t have heavy cream, use a little light cream or milk.
Whisk them together with a fork til well blended.
At this point, your omelet filling should be nicely browned, like this:
Turn your heat down as low as it can go. Be sure that your filling ingredients are evenly distributed in the pan. (If they’re all clumped in one place, they’ll set up like that when you add the egg.)
Pour in the egg.
As you pour it in, pick the frying pan up and tilt it back and forth to coat the bottom of the pan evenly with egg.
You want to wind up with a really thin coating of egg on the bottom of the pan, like this:
Keep your heat on low. Break your cheese up into small-ish pieces and spread them evenly about on your omelet. I’ve called for 2 slices in this recipe, which yields an omelet that’s not overly gooey. (But by all means, add more if you like.)
Raise the heat just a tiny bit and let it cook for a minute or two, until your cheese starts to melt.
When the cheese starts to melt, flip one side of the omelet up with a spatula and fold it in to the center, like this:
Do the same thing on the other side.
Your finished omelet should look about like this.
If you want an omelet shaped like a traditional half-moon, simply fold it over in half instead.
Slide it out of the pan onto a plate. Serve and enjoy!
***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.
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This looks sooo delicious, I am going to go buy some bacon so I can try it.
I love your food photography as well. I added you to my food blogs and can’t wait to see more of your recipes!
Betty
I love bacon omelettes! Wonderful pics too Jessie!
Yum!
Ahh…nothing like an omelet to hit the spot early in the morning!
This looks great! Yumm!
mmmmmmmmmmmm bacon. i love bacon. and omelettes! sounds delish!!
That looks SO good. Wish I had one now!
Mmmmm, very similar to the potato one you made, that I added bacon to. What I love about the one egg omlete is that it’s light and airy, and just enough to satisfy without stuffing you on a morning (or lunch, when I like to eat this!)
I am not an egg lover but even I think this looks good. I’m going to make it for my daughter. She loves eggs.
I think its the weather that takes me back to the basics. I’ve been lamenting the fact that lately the recipes at the cafe are so easy and comforting. I made a hearty breakfast of sausage, eggs and cheese this weekend too. And my family went bonkers. I guess the easy, cheesy classics are just that for a reason. Everyone loves them.
That looks really quite stylish. An omelet can be an elegant and subtle dish. Ask anybody French…they know about these things.
I have a very little gift for you on my last post “E for What?!” dear
I love omelets too! It’s so nice to meet a fellow writer and food blogger so close to home. I live on the Cape, but love Boston.
Happy cooking!
I love American cheese but only when melted! Eggs and American cheese just go together, it makes the best omelets. I was craving breakfast for dinner tonight, this would have been wonderful.
Yum!
American Cheese is a very good choice for melting, in my opinion. It tends to not get “grainy” as it cools.
Thanks, guys!
+Jessie
fantastic i love it. ill be making that right now. GREAT!