I’ve deemed one of my family’s favorite meals “The Egg Dish that Even the Pickiest Eater Will Like” because at one point I was that picky eater! My mom makes this egg bake for brunch every Christmas. It is full of eggs (duh), ham, bread, and a lot of cheese. My family loves this meal, but up until a few years ago, I wouldn’t even consider trying it. Without knowing what the dish tastes or feels like, I imagined it would be like a block of hard-boiled eggs. I could not understand why my sisters love it and never thought I would want to try it. Before I tried this dish, I didn’t think I liked eggs at all.
My Relationship with Eggs
I have a weird history with eggs. I started eating scrambled eggs when I was a kid after my parents convinced me to try them. I didn’t hate the taste, but didn’t enjoy eating them because I thought the texture was weird. But I kept eating them because it made my parents happy and I didn’t want to disappoint them. It wasn’t until high school that I admitted that I did not like eggs. Thankfully, instead of being disappointed, my parents were surprised that I was eating them and didn’t pressure me to try them again. After I stopped eating scrambled eggs I thought that food was out of my diet forever.
Then I left for college.
Every weekend the line to the cafeteria’s omelet bar stretched past the checkout counters. I was too chicken to try it, but I had to admit it smelled good and the omelets didn’t look half bad! So, Freshman year I convinced myself to try the Christmas egg dish. I use the word, “convinced,” loosely. I think my thought process went something like, “I’ll try the egg dish. This year… Someday. Maybe next year? Eh, it can wait, it’s always there.”
The Tasting
Needless to say, it took a couple of years for me to work up the nerve to try it. When I finally worked up the courage to try it, I asked my sister, Shelby, if I could have some of hers. She knows my process pretty well, so she did the right thing by:
- Not making a big deal out of my request
- Putting a tiny bite of egg dish on my plate
- Leaving it to me to try it when I wanted to
- Not watching me
These steps may seem small, but I can’t tell you how much they help me when I try a new food! There’s zero pressure, attention, or expectations with this process. I highly recommend parents take Shelby’s lead and do this for their picky eaters!
And guess what, I liked it! No, I wasn’t ready to fill my plate with the egg dish, but I did eat a small piece that morning. Once I realized how much I liked that dish I felt like a world of eggy possibilities were opened to me.
These steps may seem small, but I can’t tell you how much they help me when I try a new food! There’s zero pressure, attention, or expectations with this process. I highly recommend parents take Shelby’s lead and do this for their picky eaters!
And guess what, I liked it! No, I wasn’t ready to fill my plate with the egg dish, but I did eat a small piece that morning. Once I realized how much I liked that dish I felt like a world of eggy possibilities were opened to me.
Why I Chose This Recipe
You may be wondering, “if you already know you like this dish, then why did you chose it as your Food of the Month?” Yes, I started this blog in hopes of liking new foods, but the reality is I needed a break. Heck, everyone needs a break at some point! I was burned out from not liking new foods and I needed a win. I permitted myself to indulge in a recipe I like in hopes that it will inspire me to branch out more.
The Recipe
Ingredients
Mixture #1:
- 8 slices of day old bread (Picky Tip! If your picky eater likes crunchy food or is afraid that the egg bake will be the wrong kind of gooey like I did, use pre-bagged bread cubes for a crispy top), crusts removed and cubed
- 1 pound of cubed ham (or browned pork sausage, bacon, etc.)
Mixture #2:
- 6 beaten eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of milk
Mixture #3:
- 1/2-3/4 pound of grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
The night before serving
- Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan
- Layer half of Mixture #1 on the bottom, then half of Mixture #2, then half of Mixture #3
- Repeat layers with remaining mixture
The day of serving
- Bake uncovered at 325° for 50 minutes
- Check to see if eggs have set. If not, bake for an additional 10 minutes or until set.
What You Can Take Away from This
- Use Shelby’s process:
- Don’t make a scene
- Give them a tiny piece of the new food
- Leave it to them to try it when they want to
- Don’t watch them
- Give them a break. If they are tired of trying new foods or seem to be going backward in their picky eating, then lose the pressure! Let them eat what they like and don’t ask more of them. This will lead to confidence at mealtimes and better results the next time they try a new food.
- Let your picky eater decide what to try. When I admitted to my parents that I don’t like scrambled eggs, they were surprised but didn’t push the issue further. They left it up to me to decide if I’d try eggs again, never asked if I wanted some at breakfast, and recognized that I needed the space to make this decision on my own. This gave me ownership and freedom to decide if and when I’d try eggs again.
The Unpicky Eater 