Well, I made this dish and snapped these pics almost two weeks ago now with great intentions of having this post up before Christmas. I've been making this for Christmas morning for a few years now, and it's slowly becoming one of our favorite new traditions. I may have dropped the ball on getting this recipe up, but hey, I was busy doing other important things like drinking wassail with friends and watching The Holiday for the 20th time (if you read my last post and are curious, yes I was finally able to get into the Christmas spirit). Sooooo, I guess you can make this for New Year's Day breakfast. Come to think of it, this might even be more appropriate as a hangover breakfast the morning after a late night full of cocktails and celebrating (the sorority girls I used to cook for can attest to this).

The first time I tried breakfast stromboli was on a layover in the Dallas airport. In true Texas form, it was served with salsa and was probably one of the most interesting and delicious breakfasts I've ever had. It's savory, hearty, and familiar, yet still manages to be a special treat all at the same time. It's basically just eggs, bacon, and cheese wrapped up in pizza dough and baked. Pretty simple and incredibly delicious.

I have no idea where 2015 went, but I'm so excited to see what 2016 holds. Our little guy continues to grow and understand the world around him, and getting to be the one to show it all to him is pretty much awesome. I'm really great at setting new year's resolutions and really terrible at following through with them, but the one I am pretty set on this year is that I'm going to cut myself some freaking slack and just enjoy life more. Yes, my stove top will probably have grease on it. Yes, my furniture will probably have dog hair on it. Yes, I might let the new puppy have that $20 teething giraffe that was once my son's. Yes, I might have multiple cups of caffeinated coffee to get through my day. Yes, I might forget to return your phone call. Guess what? It will be okay, and the world will keep on spinning (and I still love you).

I hope the new year brings you and your families health, less stress, and lots of happy moments. Cheers!

Breakfast Stromboli

This is the perfect combination of savory breakfast and festive holiday treat. Can be served as is, or with warmed marinara or salsa on the side. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 recipe pizza dough, made the day before, covered, and refrigerated overnight (click here for recipe)

1 lb. thick cut bacon
12 large eggs
1/4 cup half & half
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Quick Marinara:
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. Kosher salt

Method:

Take the pizza dough out of fridge about two hours before you want to eat. Allow to come to room temp (about 1 hour).
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Lay the strips of bacon out in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet (with edges). Bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes or just until the streaky white parts turn golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to cool slightly. Put the cooled bacon on a cutting board and use a chef's knife to cut and crumble the bacon.
Use a fork to scramble the dozen eggs in a bowl with 1/4 cup half and half and 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt. Save about 1 Tbsp. of scrambled eggs for egg wash. Butter a nonstick skillet generously and heat over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula. When the liquid is gone but the eggs still appear moist, turn off the heat (gas) or remove the pan from the burner (electric).
Roll the room temp pizza dough out on a liberally floured surface to make a rectangle(ish) shape about 16" wide by 12" high.
Flour a large baking sheet and transfer the dough to it. Spread out the scrambled eggs in a row right across the middle of the dough. Add the crumbled bacon and shredded cheese on top of the eggs.
Fold the bottom section of the dough over the egg/bacon/cheese mix first. Then fold the top section of the dough towards you and over the whole thing. Crimp the dough together to form a seal (see pictures above), then tuck the crimps under. Do the same crimp and tuck action to the sides.
Brush the reserved egg wash all over the stromboli including the sides.
Bake at 400 F in the middle of oven for about 20-30 minutes or until very golden brown.
If making quick marinara, combine all the ingredients listed above in a small sauce pan and warm over low heat.
Remove stromboli from oven when done and slice into 1" portions.
Serve with quick marinara or salsa (store bought or homemade).

Tips:

You can swap the bacon for cooked breakfast sausage, ham, pepperoni, etc.
Any shredded cheese will also work fine.
Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and reheated in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes.