Meat Lovers Recipe

Cook bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or heat a large skillet over medium heat. If using the oven, arrange bacon strips on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 12–16 minutes until crisp. If using a skillet, cook bacon 8–10 minutes, turning, until browned and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and chop into 1/2-inch pieces once cool enough to handle.

Cook sausage

While bacon cooks, remove sausage from casings (if links) and crumble. In a skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon butter or oil, then add sausage. Brown and cook through, breaking into small pieces, 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towel to drain any excess fat.

Prepare ham and pepperoni

Dice the cooked ham into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. No cooking required for ham and pepperoni beyond warming in the casserole if desired; set aside with the other meats.

In the same skillet used for sausage (drain off excess fat leaving about 1 tablespoon), add the diced onion and red bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before adding to the egg mixture.

Whisk eggs

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the 8 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until homogenous and slightly frothy.

Assemble mixture

Add the chopped bacon, cooked sausage crumbles, diced ham, pepperoni slices (you can roughly chop or leave whole), sautéed onion and pepper, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar into the egg mixture. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cheddar for topping. Stir until evenly distributed.

Prepare baking dish

Grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray or the reserved butter. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) if you haven't already.

Bake

Pour the assembled egg-and-meat mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup shredded cheddar evenly over the surface. Bake in preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the center is set, the top is lightly golden and an inserted knife comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Rest and garnish

Remove from oven and allow the casserole to rest 5–10 minutes (this makes slicing cleaner). Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top for color. Slice into 8 portions.

Serve warm. Optionally accompany with hot sauce, salsa, or toasted bread. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 4 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.