This post comes to you by way of Mushroom Channel Featured Contributor Rachael of La Fuji Mama.

For breakfast most mornings I make hot oatmeal or miso soup for the girls and I. But a couple of days ago I woke up in the mood for a change. As I was peering inside the refrigerator, hoping for inspiration to hit, Bug ambled up behind me and took her own peak into the refrigerator. She spotted some Portobello mushrooms that I had picked up at the supermarket the day before and became really excited. So I pulled them out and looked at them for a moment, handing her one to examine.

As she turned the mushroom over in her hands, stroking the soft gills inside, and then putting the mushroom to her nose to smell, I thought about what I could do with the rest of them for breakfast. Then a package of pancetta caught my eye and inspiration struck: Portobello Mushroom, Egg, & Pancetta Breakfast “Pizzas.”

I removed the stems and then used a spoon to gently scrape out the gills. Then I brushed them with a bit of olive oil and put them in the oven to roast. While they were roasting I chopped the pancetta into small cubes, fried it until it was nice and crispy, scrambled some eggs, and then folded the fried pancetta into the scrambled eggs. Just as I was finishing scrambling the eggs, the mushrooms finished roasting. I pulled them out of the oven and gently blotted off the extra moisture. Then I topped each mushroom with scrambled eggs and sprinkled the eggs with a healthy dose of finely grated Gruyère cheese.

The juicy roasted Portobellos made wonderful “crusts” and tasted delicious paired with the fluffy scrambled eggs, salty pancetta, and the slightly earthy flavor of the Gruyère cheese. The girls each happily devoured half of a “pizza” and I ate a whole one and was pleasantly full.

The pizzas were quick and easy to make, only taking a total of about 20 minutes, and made for a nice change to our usual breakfast routine. You could always substitute your favorite cheese instead of using Gruyère, or use bacon rather than pancetta. I like to hand pick my mushrooms out of baskets of mushrooms that supermarkets often have, rather than buy pre-packaged Portobellos. This allows me to examine them and make sure that they are fresh. When you are picking your mushrooms, avoid any that look limp, dried out, or slippery (which indicates that they are past their prime). The mushroom should be firm and plump with a nice earthy smell.

Portobello Mushroom, Egg, & Pancetta Breakfast “Pizzas”

Makes 4 “pizzas” (4 — 6 servings)

4 Portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 — 5 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes (you can substitute bacon)
4 ounces finely grated Gruyère cheese (you can substitute your favorite cheese)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Use a kitchen towel to lightly brush off any remaining dirt on the mushrooms.  Remove the stem and then use a spoon to gently scrape out the gills inside the mushroom.  Brush the mushrooms lightly with olive oil and place them in a baking dish cap sides up.  Roast the mushrooms for 15 minutes (or 20 if your mushrooms are larger and thicker).

3. While the mushrooms are roasting, fry the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy.  Drain the pancetta on paper towels and set aside.

4. About 5 minutes before the mushrooms are done roasting, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl just until the whites and yolks are blended.  Put the butter in a large heavy nonstick pan over medium heat.  When the butter is melted, swirl the pan to cover the bottom and sides.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg mixture, and then pour the rest of the egg mixture into the pan and turn the heat down to medium low.  Star slowly scraping the eggs from the bottom of the pan.  They will very gradually coagulate into soft curds over several minutes.  When they have thickened to your taste, remove the pan from the heat and fold in the reserved 2 tablespoons of egg mixture (to stop the cooking and cream the eggs).  Taste and season if needed.  Fold the fried pancetta into the just-scrambled eggs.

5. To assemble the breakfast “pizzas”: When the mushrooms have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and blot away any excess juices.  Spoon 1/4 of the scrambled eggs on top of each mushroom.  Top the eggs with 1/4 (1 ounces) of the finely shredded gruyère cheese and serve the pizzas immediately.