Everyone's Fave Breakfast Strudel

Breakfast is my absolutely favorite meal of the day, and when get to cook for other people, this recipe is a hit every time! I don't know if "strudel" is the absolute correct name for this meal, but it's how I think of it in my head, so Strudel it shall be named!

I make this in two stages: cook the filling the night before, and wake up super-early to fill and bake. I've found out the hard way that using a piping-hot filling in the crescents makes them soggy, and me grumpy. The first time I made these, I put hot filling right on the uncooked crescents, they didn't puff up, and I may have cried just a little. Lesson learned!


My go-to is obviously bacon, but when I'm making these for a group, I'll typically make 2 with bacon and 2 with sausage. The recipe that follows is for one strudel, which serves about 4-6, so multiply as needed.

Scramble 6 eggs (add some milk when whisking to make them fluffy) while baking 1/2 package of center-cut bacon in the oven at 350 degrees. If you're using breakfast sausage, a 1/2 pound should be enough, cook this until brown.
Chop 1/2 of a large green bell pepper (for a bacon strudel), or red bell pepper (for a sausage strudel); add to your eggs.
Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces, and add meat to egg mixture, along with about 4 ounces shredded cheese (I like cheddar or Monterey-Jack).
Put in fridge and relax!

Wake up early and make some coffee (duh!). Take 1 package Pillsbury crescents and separate, pressing them into a star shape on a greased baking sheet.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle the widest part of the crescent with a couple Tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, then add your meaty-egg filling of choice. It will spill over, so don't worry about being neat. After your filling is piled onto the crescents, wrap each section over and carefully tuck underneath.

Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with a splash of water, this will add some shine and allow the cheese to stick...Speaking of...Sprinkle with cheese! I used cheddar for my sausage strudels, and parmesan for the bacon strudels.

Once your oven is preheated, bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and let cool.

I typically serve this in the ring shape, but you could also separate into servings of two sections and arrange on a platter for easy grabbing. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Cilantro, and take a giant step back to allow the stampede of hungry and grateful people who will quickly devour your creation.