Bacon and Egg Pie - Crustless, So Naturally Gluten-Free (Dairy-Free, Too)

Breakfast bakes made with good bread are something I really enjoy, but I had a gluten-free guest coming and had to come up with one that didn't contain bread.

And she's gone dairy-free as well, so I made it with rice milk rather than my usual organic 2% milk. Like other dairy-free people I know, she tolerates butter well, so I went ahead and followed my inclination to brush the layer of potatoes with a little butter (but resisted my inclination to throw in some cheese!).

I'm inclined to throw some cheese into just about everything! This could be jazzed up any number of ways; but we were going to be having a spicy main dish, vegetables and big salad for lunch, so I made this stone plain and offered salsa and shredded cheese on the side.

Since this was breakfast, we had fruit and gluten-free scones along with the pie, as well as copious amounts of English breakfast tea. For lunch or dinner, I'd have salad on the side and a glass of wine, such as Castello di Amorosa Gioia, a perfect summer sipper.

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Bacon and Egg Pie

(Makes one 9-inch pie)

2 to 3 (about 14 ounces/397 grams total) Yukon Gold potatoes, microwaved/baked and cooled, then peeled or not
8 ounces (227 grams) bacon, sliced crosswise 1/4 to 1/2 inch, cooked crisp
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, melted, or bacon grease
7 large eggs
1/2 cup milk or dairy-free milk
1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Options: cheese; diced green chiles; sautéed onions, red bell peppers and/or mushrooms; leftover cooked vegetables. But not too much or you'll need a deep-dish pie plate, which I don't have.

1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Cut the potatoes in quarters lengthwise; slice about 1/4 inch thick. Line bottom of pie plate with the potatoes, squeezing in little bits to make a solid potato layer. Brush the potatoes with melted butter* and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with the bacon and any optional ingredients.

* If using leftover bacon grease instead of butter, you might want to skip the salt on the potato layer.

2 In 2-quart bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure because the spout makes pouring easier), whisk together eggs, milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt and seasonings. Put the pie plate with potatoes and bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the oven. Pour the egg mixture over potatoes and bacon.

3 Bake about 25 minutes, or until eggs are set in the center. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.