Great for breakfast or for dinner, this Ham and Cheese Souffle is hearty and filling.
Photos Updated April 2014
Now, I’m no stranger to chiles. I grew up in New Mexico, and I love chiles in everything. And I’ve cooked with them often. Usually, if I’m cooking with a spicier chile, I’ll wear gloves, especially now that I have a baby and I wouldn’t want my hands to get spicy and then get all over the baby. But I don’t really bother with a mild chile. Well, to me, Anaheim chiles are not usually spicy. In fact, they are usually pretty mild. So I went about making this meal, and at some point, I must have put a finger in my mouth. All of a sudden, my mouth was on fire! At first, I didn’t know where it came from. Then I tasted a bit of one of the chiles I used, and I couldn’t believe how spicy it was!! I immediately tried to wash it off my hands with no luck. I searched the internet and even asked my Facebook friends for advice on how to get the spice off my hands so that I wouldn’t accidentally touch the baby’s face or get my fingers in her mouth. There were all kinds of solutions, but nothing that really worked. Luckily, the spice wore off pretty quickly and we were all ok.
And this ham and cheese souffle was worth all the chile worry as well. I was afraid it was going to be too spicy to eat, but I actually liked the hearty kick that it had. And the chiles really mellowed out the next day, so the leftovers were perfect. If you are a fan of breakfast for dinner, this is one that you will love!
Ham and Cheese Pan Souffle
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- salt
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more if needed
- 1 onions halved and thinly sliced
- 2 Anaheim chili peppers halved, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound boiled ham cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; season with salt, cover and boil until just tender, 2 minutes. Drain.
- Heat a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion and chiles and cook until browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the ham and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the potatoes to the skillet and cook until golden, 6 minutes. Add the paprika, parsley and garlic and cook 1 minute. Transfer to the same bowl and mix.
- Whisk the egg yolks, cheese, flour, and pepper to taste in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon salt with a mixer until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the rest.
- Oil the skillet, if dry, and place over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture, cover and cook until the top just sets, 4 to 6 minutes. Top with the filling and transfer to the oven, uncovered, until set, about 10 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Coconut Recipes says
It's look good. I'm going to try this one using beef instead for the meat.
Sandie (Inn Cuisine) says
I have to try this recipe, it's full of every flavor I enjoy. I'm so glad you brought this to my attention too—don't know how I missed it in the magazine!
Marisa says
I'm glad that the spice wore off quickly. I have, quite possibly, the wimpiest mouth EVER–so maybe I'll have to try this with a mild version :-). This recipe looks really good! I love breakfast for dinner (more than for breakfast)–so we'll for sure add this to our list.
Barbara says
I'm liking this dish a lot! I know you've got to be careful with chilis- had a bad experience and learned a lesson! (We all probably have!)
Kim says
I always mean to get some gloves for the kitchen, but never do. I know how that is when you can't wash the heat off you hands and fingers. The ham and cheese souffle looks great!
Kelly @ EvilShenanigans says
A nice wedge of that with a fresh green salad … heaven!! Looks fantastic!
Grace says
i've set my eyeball on fire before having underestimated the heat of a pepper. tain’t fun, i know. i think your eggy dish sounds fantastic though, and it’s a looker too!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A lovely combo!
Cheers,
Rosa
Lizzybee says
this looks and sound great!
kat says
I try to be so careful with peppers too, when you wear contacts it can be dangerous taking them in & out with pepper on your hands! So, we read that peppers can have different heat depending on how much water they get while growing.