Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Impress your brunch crowd with this savory, bacon-filled skillet pancake. The recipe calls for a 10-inch cast iron skillet, but you can use a smaller 8-inch skillet and the Dutch baby will puff up a little higher. Don’t use a skillet larger than an 11-inch, however. This is an incredibly easy dish to prepare, but there are a few steps that are crucial for success. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature and leave the oven door closed the entire baking time. The Dutch baby will deflate almost immediately once you remove it from the oven, so plan on serving this immediately. This is not a make-ahead dish, so have your guests ready to go with forks in hand. It even resembles a pull-apart bread, which makes it an unexpected and fun appetizer. We recommend using thick-cut bacon in this recipe because the chopped pieces hold their shape when baked into the pancake. You get extra bacon flavor by using the reserved bacon fat to cook the batter.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook bacon in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium, turning occasionally, until bacon is crisp and fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
Step 2
While bacon cooks, process eggs, milk, flour, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a blender on medium speed until completely smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
Step 3
Return skillet to medium heat; let heat 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, and pour batter into skillet. Immediately transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake until Dutch baby is puffed and golden brown, about 18 minutes. Do not open oven while cooking.
Step 4
Remove Dutch baby from oven; immediately sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven; bake at 425°F until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and chives; serve immediately.
