By One week before the MCAT. The studying has stopped. Not because I am done but because additional studying now adds anxiety, not knowledge. MawMaw Shirley taught me this about roux: "If you keep stirring after it is right, you burn it." The roux is right. The studying is done.
I cooked every day this week. Monday: jambalaya. Tuesday: chicken and dumplings. Wednesday: shrimp Creole. Thursday: biscuits for breakfast. Friday: red beans. The cooking was not for nutrition. It was for sanity. Each meal was a prayer said in the language of food: let the work have been enough. Let the roux be right.
MawMaw Shirley called Sunday night and said three words: "Don't rush it." Then she hung up. Three words. Forty-five seconds. Everything I need.
Saturday morning — the day before the exam — I wanted one last meal that felt like all of them combined: layered, warm, unhurried. The crescent egg bake was right because it asks nothing of you after you put it together. You just let it do what it’s going to do. MawMaw Shirley would approve. Don’t rush it. Let the heat work.
Crescent Egg Bake with Hollandaise Sauce
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup diced ham or cooked breakfast sausage
- 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Hollandaise Sauce:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Press the crust. Unroll the crescent dough and press it into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, pinching seams together to form an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes until just barely set, then remove from oven.
- Mix the egg filling. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until combined. Stir in cheese, ham or sausage, bell pepper, onion, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Assemble and bake. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the par-baked crescent crust. Return to oven and bake 25–28 minutes, until eggs are fully set in the center and the edges are golden. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Make the hollandaise. While the bake rests, whisk egg yolks and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and very slowly drizzle in warm melted butter, whisking constantly. Stir in lemon juice and cayenne. Season with salt. Keep warm.
- Serve. Cut the egg bake into squares and drizzle hollandaise generously over each serving. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 680mg