Ham & Cheese Souffle

For our next breakfast creation, I tackled the Ham & Cheese Souffle recipe submitted by Josh's parents' best friends, the Knoxes. Margaret Knox's Ham & Cheese Souffle is everything a good Iowa recipe should be - a hearty, hot-dish inspired breakfast comprising all the major Iowa food groups -- ham, cheese(s), corn(flakes), eggs, white bread, and butter -- that will fully prepare you for a day of castrating hogs in the field. It's like a heart attack in a pan, and I figure the type of thing that most breakfast lovers lose their minds over.

I was initially resistant to making this because I couldn't get past the fact that it involved a leviathan quantity of eggs, and when you combine that with the word 'souffle' in the title, that says to me that this is basically a giant tray 'o croissanwich. Given my feelings about eggs, this was not a good thing. Then I paid more attention to the recipe and realized it was essentially a French toasted ham and cheese sandwich and realized I could likely get behind that.

Also, it did not hurt that this recipe prompted the Iowa Recipe lecture from Josh. Have you heard an Iowa lecture before from Josh? It goes like this: 'Iowa is the best place on earth. (Thing) from Iowa is always the best. You have not lived until you have experienced 'thing' in/from Iowa. There is no argument on this matter. This is a commandment from God.'

In this case, I am given to understand that in Iowa, recipes are the 'only thing you have' and therefore they must be good. So good they are guarded, as fabled on TV, and people won't give them out so you must keep inviting them to your parties if only so they will bring whatever culinary delight of theirs you like. Hence, Margarget Knox's Ham & Cheese Souffle will of course be the most amazing thing my tastebuds have ever or will ever experience(d). Josh obviously should just start his career with the Iowa Department of PR now.

Actually, I am pretty sure that Margaret made this recipe for a Christmas-y brunch she gave once when we were in town, that if I remember correctly, might have (surreptitiously or otherwise) been either to get a look at me (I was, after all, her best friend's son's intended) or in honor of our engagement or just for fun because we were in town or I have no idea. So, it is pretty sweet of her that this is the one she included in our recipe book.

As for the souffle itself, Josh would like you all to know that as expected of any Margarget Knox/Iowa recipe, it is indeed heaven like your tastebuds couldn't possibly be prepared for. He is still, in fact, in a coma from the wonder of it all. I hope he recovers soon because this is a huge dish fit for a huge brunch, and we are going to be eating leftovers of it for the better part of 2009.

The pride of Iowa

Ham & Cheese Souffle (a la Margaret Knox)

16 slices of white sandwich bread (cut off crusts & cube)
1 lb cured ham
1 lb sharp cheddar, grated
1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, small cubes
6 eggs (which should just about polish off that giant carton of a zillion eggs you got just the othe day from Costco, damn this recipe book project)
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp onion salt (??)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3 cups corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Grease 9 x 13 pan. Do your ceremonial 'I am eating white bread in honor of Passover' dance while you de-crust and cube the bread. Think to self, 'Self, I wonder what Margaret has against crusts?' Spread half the bread cubes evenly in pan.

Take cheese out of refrigerator. Realize that the giant block of sharp cheddar you bought should have been a bag of shredded cheddar. Curse self for seeing 'cubed' a couple of times when skimming recipe and thinking all things in it were supposed to be cubed, when this is in no way true. Set about task of bitterly grating an entire 1 lb block of cheddar. Cube Swiss cheese, hoping to self the cheddar taste overwhelms it as you do not much like Swiss. Add the ham and both cheeses, then cover with remaining braed.

Mix eggs, milk, onion salt and mustard. Wonder 'What the Hell is onion salt?' Onion powder, yes. Garlic salt, yes. Garlic powder, also yes. Onion salt? Non-existent at the grocery. Decide, once again, onion salt must mean onion powder. Use onion powder, which ultimately seems to work fine. Decide future rule: when in doubt, use onion powder.

Pour evenly over bread cubes and refrigerate overnight. SUDDENLY REALIZE THIS IS ANOTHER PRE-PREPARATION-MARINATE-LET-IT-SIT-FOR-HOURS RECIPE AND THAT YOU WILL NOT BE EATING IT FOR DINNER TONIGHT AFTER ALL. Realize you are a frigging moron. Put in fridge. Heat up leftovers and tell Josh to be happy about it.

Resume next day by combining Corn Flakes and butter for a topping. Wonder: What is this mystical thing about Corn Flakes that they show up in all your recipes? Corn Flakes, the microwaved cream cheese of brunch.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes while Josh whines about how he is soooo hungry he is going to die. Feed Josh, who actually inhales it before you even have a chance to sit down. Wonder if he even used utensils or just put plate up to face and let it all slide in. Enjoy.