Recipe Spotlight: Sunny-Side Up Breakfast Pies

Our team is constantly looking for new, creative ways to use the Breville Pie Maker, which has quickly become a customer favorite. Not only is it fun and easy to use, but the flavor possibilities are endless.

 

That’s why we looked to the pie maker for a playful dish to anchor our Easter brunch menu, a whimsical party for kids and adults alike.

 

“Some of our buyers were curious what would happen if you tried to cook an egg in the pie maker — would it work, would it cook through, would it hold up?” explains Test Kitchen cook Sandra Wu. “They tried it one afternoon on their own, and it worked! They were really excited and came up with this idea to make it into a breakfast pie.”

 

The Sunny-Side Up Breakfast Pies recipe calls for crumbs of cooked bacon to incorporate into the crust, which Wu says add interest and offers a savory flavor (and goes along with the breakfast theme). However, you could omit the bacon for a vegetarian option or even use a purchased, refrigerated pie crust to save prep time.

 

“It’s nice because each kid gets their own breakfast pie — and it looks so cute,” she says.

 

You can dream up new flavor variations of your own when making the breakfast pies, too. We haven’t experimented yet, but we’re excited to see how the recipe works with a layer of sautéed spinach, or even a Southwestern theme using cheese and salsa and incorporating cornmeal into the crust. You could even sprinkle a bit of cooked chorizo on top after baking for added flavor, says Wu.

 

Tell us, readers: What are your unique ideas for the breakfast pies? Leave suggestions in the comments!

 

Sunny-Side Up Breakfast Pies

 

18 bacon slices, cooked until crispy

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 Tbs. ice water, plus more as needed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

8 eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives

 

Place 2 bacon slices in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Add the 3 Tbs. ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water 1 tsp. at a time, pulsing twice after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

 

Preheat a Breville electric pie maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a round 1/8 inch thick. Using the larger side of the circle cutter, cut out 8 rounds, rerolling the scraps as needed. Flour both sides of the dough rounds and prick the dough with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

 

Flour the pastry press. Open the pie maker and place 1 dough round in each well. Use the press to push the dough down into the wells to form the bottom crust. Close the lid on the pie maker, ensuring the latch clicks into place. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Open the pie maker. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. cheese over each crust and crack 1 egg into each one. Close the lid and cook until the eggs are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a nonstick heatproof spatula or a mini-pie lifter, carefully transfer the pies to a wire rack.

 

Repeat the process with the remaining dough rounds, cheese and eggs. Season the pies with salt and pepper and garnish with the chives. Serve each pie with 2 bacon slices. Serves 8.