Cheese & Bacon Breakfast Loaf

Cheese and Bacon Loaf

Recipe courtesy of; ‘How I’ve Kept the Weight Off’ by Anna Van Dyken, Published by Macmillan, RRP $39.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons

Preparing simple dishes like this in advance keeps me organised during a busy week, and I can pre-track the recipe the night before. This loaf is generously portioned for a hearty breakfast, and also makes a great addition to a lunch box.

Serves 8 | Prep 15min | Cook 45min

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, grated
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
150 g short-cut bacon, fat trimmed, finely chopped
30 g grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
1⁄3 cup chopped fresh at-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves to serve
1⁄2 cup (75 g) self-raising flour
8 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly spray a 22 x 12 cm loaf tin with oil and line with baking paper, extending paper 2 cm above edge of tin.

2 Place zucchini in a clean tea towel. Gather ends of tea towel together, then twist and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

3 Pour mixture into prepared tin and cook for 40–45 minutes, until set in centre when tested with the tip of a small knife. Set aside in tin for 10 minutes, then use the paper lining to lift loaf onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Garnish with extra parsley. Serve sliced.

Anna’s tip

If you’re short of time on the day, this recipe can be baked in advance. Store in a container in the fridge. Serve it warm or cold: it’s tasty both ways!