Bacon and Cheese Custards

By Reen

May 2012 Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 4 slices center-cut bacon
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 65mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; increase heat to medium-high. Add bell pepper and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add green onions; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in crumbled bacon and Swiss cheese. Divide the bacon mixture evenly among 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray.
3. Heat 2 cups milk in a saucepan over medium heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Place Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add the hot milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Divide egg mixture evenly among ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan, and add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until the center barely moves when the ramekin is touched. Remove ramekins from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm.