I'm a breakfast and brunch fiend. I adore the foods we associate with these meals and tend to save those ultra-decadent dips into cravings-town for then. So it probably comes as no surprise that I really like Eggs Benedict. And I really like it when I mix things up a bit and get something even more glorious:
Instead of a standard toasted English muffin, this version sits atop a bacon pan toasted miniature croissant! Now, I cannot think of many things more indulgent than that! This is definitely not diet food — or even food you should be aiming to have more often than a couple of times a year. However, it's hard to argue with making it for a special occasion. Heck, I think having it makes any occasion special by definition!
The other twist this dish holds is switching out the traditional ham or Canadian bacon for thick-cut bacon. Since I don't make it that often, I aim for applewood smoked stuff that leaves me gloriously full and ready to stroll through my neighborhood to bid at least some of those calories adieu. Maybe that's another reason I love these decadent dishes in the morning: it leaves the rest of the day to be active and work off that feeling of a full belly. Because who wants to flirt with nighttime indigestion!?
This dish is basically the meal. I often add some fresh fruit on the side to make it seem "healthy" and there's always coffee too, but not only do you not need much else for such a meal, you face the very real possibility of hurting yourself if you go down that road! So enjoy indulging in this amazing dish and then enjoy finding ways to burn off those calories the rest of the day!
Croissant Eggs Benedict
- 8 pieces thick-cut bacon
- 8 large eggs
- 4 miniature croissants, sliced in half
- 1 c. hollandaise sauce
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 c. sliced green onions
Fry the bacon in a large skillet, making sure to cook it until crispy. Remove from the skillet to a plate covered with paper towels and drain all but the smallest bit of bacon fat from the pan.
While the bacon is frying, poach the eggs to your desired level of doneness. I love them medium-set.
Place the skillet with the small amount of bacon fat over medium-low heat and carefully toast the croissant halves in the pan.
To assemble the dish, place 2 croissant halves on a serving plate. Cut each slice of bacon in half and arrange 2 halves on each croissant piece on the plate. Nestle a poached egg atop the bacon and ladle a bit of hollandaise sauce over the top of the eggs. Sprinkle the top of the dish with smoked paprika and green onions and serve.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes