playground picnic: bacon, potato & egg casserole

the weather today was perfect - warm, sunny, and too early in the season for bugs or humidity. we packed up our dinner and headed to the playground for dinner. after gobbling up eggs baked with bacon, potatoes, and a ton of cheese, we walked about a mile along the canal for opening day at the ice cream shop. we marked the occasion with winn's very own ice cream. i wasn't surprised in the least at his choice of chocolate.

menu

• bacon, potato & egg casserole - recipe below
• apples & blackberries
• yogurt
• pretzels 
• water
• opening day ice cream for dessert!
• preschooler friendly: diced egg casserole, sliced apples, yogurt, pretzels, water
• toddler friendly: small diced egg casserole, blackberries, yogurt, water

bacon potato & egg casserole
adapted from the kitchn
1hr, serves 8

1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2 inch wide pieces
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 eggs
1 cup 2% or whole milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups thawed frozen diced potatoes or leftover roasted potatoes

1. preheat your oven to 350F. 
2. heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. cook until very crisp. remove from heat.
3. use some of the rendered bacon grease to grease a 9x13" baking dish. drain all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease from the bacon and return the pan to the heat.
4. add the onion, pepper, and garlic. season with salt and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. remove from heat.
5. whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the milk. season with salt and pepper and mix in the cheese, potatoes, and bacon vegetable mixture from the skillet. pour into the prepared baking dish. bake for 30-40 minutes or until the eggs are set. serve.