Spinach Dutch Baby
I’ve talked before about how much I love breakfast for dinner. Sometimes, there’s just nothing more comforting than a large stack of pancakes or French toast and sausage. But better than pancakes or French toast is a Dutch Baby, especially when it’s packed with vegetables.
Never heard of a dutch baby? It’s a huge pancake that’s baked in the oven. I love them because they’re made with all the same ingredients as pancakes. But instead of standing over the stove and flipping pancake after pancake, you just dump all the batter in a pan and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes. It couldn’t be easier.
While I usually enjoy my dutch babies for breakfast on the weekends, I’ve recently started enjoying them for dinner just to change things up. The biggest difference between the breakfast version and the dinner version, is the flavor. See, the breakfast ones are usually sweet with plenty of fruit and cinnamon sugar. Or at least the ones I make are. But the dinner ones are much more savory. The first one I made used mushrooms, whereas this one uses spinach and cheddar cheese. But why stop at spinach or mushrooms? You could add bacon or onions or tomatoes. You could even add all three. It just depends on what you’re in the mood for.
I’ve made enough dutch babies to realize there really isn’t anything you couldn’t add to one. It’s all about what flavors you like best. I like them sweet or savory. It just depends on the meal or mood I’m in. Both the mushroom and spinach were delicious and perfect options for the end of the day when you want something that’s not only comforting, but healthy and full of flavor as well.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
- 6-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 ounces pancetta
Instructions
- Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place skillet in cold oven.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- While the skillet and oven warm up, whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach and pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- While the dutch baby cooks, toss the tomatoes with the remaining olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until hot and blistered.
- Place pancetta in a small skillet and cook over high heat until crisp; drain and set aside.
- Top the dutch baby with the tomatoes and pancetta and serve.
