Breakfast Braid

Never been a breakfast person... eating and certainly not cooking:-)    As Lauren and Matt were coming by on Saturday, I had a supply of breakfast recipes I have been hoarding for quite some time and finally chose this recipe. 

I had gone to HEB a couple days before to get all the ingredients I would need, or so I thought.  As I was thinking about the recipe in anticipation of cooking it Saturday morning, I realized that I had bought pie crust instead of pizza dough!  After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was again prepared to get started.  As I gathered ingredients, I had to substitute bacon for the sausage that I had forgotten to mark off my list.  This versatile recipe would be great with sausage, bacon or ham.  It's very easy to assemble and makes an impressive addition to a buffet.

Ingredients

• 1  (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1/4  cup  chopped onion
• 4  ounces  bacon, diced
• 3  large eggs, lightly beaten (use 4 eggs next time)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  chopped seeded jalapeño peppers (did not use but may put on 1/2 next time for heat enthusiasts)
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.
3. Add onion and bacon; cook until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.
5. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

*I made the slits all the way up both sides.  I turned under the 'T' at both ends and then started braiding the dough.

Southern Living: Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack and Egg Breakfast Braid