Italian Layered Breakfast Cake

Italian Layered Breakfast Cake

Hello there! Here's a fun, Italian-inspired torte recipe that you can whip up for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner. This bad boy is a one-dish wonder, packed with flavors for a well-rounded meal.

Yield: 12 servings

Difficulty: Easy peasy

Total: 1 hr 50 mins, but trust us, it's worth it!

Active: 50 mins

Ingredient List (12)

• 2 tubes of 8 ounces each refrigerated crescent rolls (We won't judge if you're too lazy and want store-bought pastry)
• We're adding a little Italian flavor with a teaspoon of olive oil
• 6 ounces of fresh, leafy baby spinach (Pop it in a salad too)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (Think: cremini, portobello, or even shiitake if you're feeling fancy)
• 7 large eggs from the farmers' market for that golden egginess (Eggland's Best ain't bad though)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Go ahead, pop some more on top for extra cheese pull)
• Some zesty Italian seasoning (3 teaspoons will do)
• Pepper to give it a little kick (About 1/2 teaspoon will do)
• 1 pound of deli meat goodness, like smoked ham and hard salami, sliced paper-thin (Thin slices cook faster and waste less meat)
• We're gonna' get ooey-gooey with 1 pound of sliced provolone cheese
• 2 jars (12 ounces each) of sweet, roasted red peppers, drained, sliced, and patted dry (You can make your own too, but store-bought works just fine)

Let's Get Cooking!

1. Preheat the oven: 350°F, baby
2. Wrap a 9-in. springform pan with double-thick, heavy-duty foil, about 18 square inches. Wrap it snugly, like a present
3. Unroll one tube of crescent dough and separate it into triangles. Press it onto the bottom of the pan to form that flaky, buttery crust
4. Bake that crust for 10-15 minutes or until it's set and starts to turn a light golden color
5. In a large skillet, heat up the oil over medium-high heat. Toss in the spinach and mushrooms, cooking and stirring until the mushrooms are tender
6. Drain that goodness on several layers of paper towels, blotting well to remove any excess moisture
7. In a large bowl, whisk six eggs with the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and pepper. That's your torte's egg mixture
8. Begin layering our Italian treat by topping the cooked crust with half of the ham, salami, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, and spinach mixture
9. Pour half of the egg mixture over the top of the first layer
10. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, topping it all off with the rest of the egg mixture
11. Unroll the second tube of crescent dough and press together to form a circle. Slide that on top of the filling, sealing the seams
12. Brush the dough with the remaining egg mixture
13. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, covering the torte loosely with foil if necessary to prevent browning
14. Carefully loosen the torte from the pan with a knife, and remove the rim
15. Let it cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving

Enjoy your Italian-inspired, single-dish wonder of a torte, perfect for a satisfying morning, afternoon, or it's-five-o'clock-somewhere brunch!

1. For the flaky, buttery crust, unroll one tube of crescent dough and press it onto the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
2. After baking the crust, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the top, creating a subtle Italian flavor.
3. When serving the torte, consider offering a variety of cultural foods, such as Italian teaspoons of grated Parmesan cheese or even a line of credit for those who'd like to impress their guests with an extravagant meal.

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