Savory Dutch Baby with Asparagus and Canadian Bacon

Thank you to Jones Dairy Farm for sponsoring the post for our Savory Dutch Baby with Asparagus and Canadian Bacon! 

Savory Dutch Baby with Canadian Bacon and Asparagus

When it comes to breakfast, give me all the benedicts, frittatas, and Savory Dutch Babies. Of course I would never turn down a batch of French toast, a Caramel Apple Cinnamon roll, or a stack of Blueberry Pancakes, but my heart belongs to all things savory.

A savory dutch baby has been on my mind for quite some time, so when I went to brainstorm how I was going to serve it, I of course gravitated towards something spring-like to celebrate the turn of the season. For me, asparagus is always the quintessential vegetable (see our perfect roasted asparagus) to bring from winter to spring and pairing it with nutty gruyere cheese and salty Canadian bacon seemed like a no brainer.

In a traditional dutch baby the wow factor comes into play when the delicate batter hits a screaming hot pan and then puffs up and over the sides. Because we load the middle of our savory dutch baby with  ingredients, we still get those beautiful puffed sides, but the middle takes on a completely unique texture. I’d describe it as a hybrid of a pancake, crepe and frittata. It’s custard-like in the center, but crispy and puffed on the edges, and pillowy-soft in areas. 

The sharp gruyere melts into the batter, Canadian bacon, and asparagus, permeating the dutch baby with the most delicious nutty, cheesy flavor. 

Guys, THIS is a brunch dish worth of entertaining. 

Ingredients in a Savory Dutch Baby

The batter

We basically just steal the batter from our Apple Clafoutis, so here’s what you’ll need:

• Eggs. I like for our savory dutch baby to custard-like in the center so we go with three eggs. If you want it to be more airy, use just two eggs. 
• Milk. You’ll need whole milk. We have not experimented with any other milk, so proceed with caution if you do. 
• Flour. All-purpose! 
• Chives. I love the freshness and pop of color chives add, but if you can’t find them, scallions will work as well. 
• Butter. As always you will want to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt. 

The filling

Canadian bacon. Whenever we use Canadian Bacon, we always reach towards Jones Dairy Farm. Their Canadian Bacon is naturally smoked over real hickory chips so it has a lovely smoked flavor in addition to the pure salty pork flavor. I  also love that it’s low in fat (97% fat free!) and calories and packs in a whopping 10 grams of protein per serving serving. Head over to the Jones website to see where it’s sold near you.

While we often see it served whole as a layer for benedicts and various breakfast sandwiches, I love chopping it up and adding it to omelets and frittatas as a low-cal protein option. In our savory dutch baby, use the same concept but sprinkle it throughout the batter so we have pieces of it in every bite. 

We slice the Canadian bacon in half and then cut it into little 1/4-inch pieces. 

Asparagus. You could use a variety of veggies depending on what’s in season and available at the grocery store. Our grocery store happens to be littered with bright green asparagus, so that’s what we went with. I love how quick it cooks and how it doesn’t get mushy while the savory dutch baby cooks. 

Cheese. Similar to the asparagus, you can swap out the cheese. However, I find the combination of Canadian Bacon and asparagus pairs up really nicely with nutty, sharp gruyere cheese. It can be a pricier cheese, so if you want to find something a little bit more cost effective, you could swap it our with Swiss, a sharp white cheddar, or asiago. 

Let’s make a Savory Dutch Baby 

Preheat the pan. The key to a puffed dutch baby is making sure your pan and oven are screaming hot, so before you get started, pop the pan you’ll be using into a super hot oven. 

Make the batter. After you preheat the pan and oven, the first thing I like to do is make the batter. It needs to rest for about 10 minutes, so it gives you an opportunity to prep everything else. 

Add the eggs and milk to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the flour and salt. Blend on high for about 30 seconds until completely smooth. If needed, scrape down the sides with a spatula and blend again. Add in the chopped chives and pulse just until they’re combine. Set it aside to rest.  

Prep your filling. I like to multitask when it comes to prep, so while the batter rests, chop the Canadian Bacon and asparagus. Shred the cheese. Also, be sure you shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt well and won’t be as flavorful. 

Make the dutch baby. Once the batter has rested for about 15 minutes, pull the hot pan out of the (with mitts!) oven and add a little bit of butter. Swirl to coat the pan and add most of the asparagus and Canadian Bacon. Pour the batter on top. Sprinkle the cheese on top.  Sprinkle the leftover cheese and Canadian bacon on top of the cheese. 

Transfer to the oven immediately.

Cook. Let the savory dutch baby cook for about 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Reduce the temp and cook another 15-20 minutes. Serve right away with chopped chive. 

What pan should I use for a Dutch Baby? 

There are a variety of pans you can use, we prefer a 9-inch cast iron skillet or good quality non-stick pan. Make sure you use don’t use anything larger than 10-inches or you will have a very flat dutch baby. 

What causes a Dutch Baby to rise? 

It’s kind of a magical thing. Because we don’t use any baking soda or baking powder you wouldn’t think the savory dutch baby would rise, but it does. When you put the cold batter in a super hot pan and then into the oven, the steam that arises from the cooking process helps the batter to puff and rise. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Make sure your oven and pan are VERY hot. You don’t want to take shortcuts here. 
• As we mentioned before, swap out the gruyere cheese for Swiss, sharp cheddar, or asiago. 
• If you can’t find chives, finely chopped scallion will work as well. 
• The dutch baby is done cooking when it’s golden brown and puffed on the sides and edges. 
• For an extra spring flair, top the savory dutch baby with arugula drizzled in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Complete your brunch with these recipe

Similar to how a frittata pairs really well with salad, so does a dutch baby. We love to serve this with our Everyday Kale Salad or our Artichoke Salad. 

For something sweet to serve, try our easy 5-Ingredient Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls or our Easy Granola paired with Greek yogurt. 

Of course you can’t go wrong with classic soft scrambled eggs and our version is so creamy and delicious.