Boss’ Breakfast Pie

When my son Max was born I asked my Mom, as a new grandmother, what she wanted to be called. Grandma, Gram, Granny, Nana? She decided that she would bypass all of the usual favourites and go with Abuela. Huh?


Abuela is Grandmother in spanish. My folks do live half of the year in Mexico (my Dad hates the cold and the rain) but fluent spanish speakers they are not. I thought it seemed a strange choice but she would not be deterred. Fast forward two years later to when Max is learning to talk. One day he looks at my Mom and points and declares, with absolute conviction, “Boss”. Uh oh.


My Mom (like her own Mother and her daughters as well) is known for being a wee bit bossy and so I wondered how this might be taken. But my Mom beamed at her one and only grandchild and happily accepted her new moniker. She has been known as Boss ever since.


This weekend Boss and Pa (my Dad) arrived home from Mexico a week earlier than planned and so were able to join us for a friends and family Easter brunch. We had 16 of our nearest and dearest crowded around the table eating and drinking and laughing and talking.

We rounded out the menu with breakfast sausages, fruit salad, roasted potatoes, some smoked salmon, bagels and cream cheese and a fresh fruit pavlova that my mother-in-law Anneliese made. And a whole bunch of chocolate eggs…

I am sure this would be amazing with homemade puff pastry and one day I will endeavour to make some but this is a snap to make with store bought puff. I get pre-rolled sheets from Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver that are made by a local company named Essentials. Unlike certain puff pastry on the market this one has a small list of ingredients all of which I can pronounce!

2 pre-rolled sheets of puff pastry (400 gr each) or 1-14 oz box frozen puff pastry
1/2 lb (225 gr) back bacon, thinly sliced
10 large eggs plus 1 egg for egg wash
4 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne (optional)