Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with a little of the greasing fat and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Mix the measured gelatin and cold water with a fork or whisk in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Leave for 5 minutes until the powder is hydrated, with no dry patches.
- Brown the measured ground beef over medium heat, breaking into crumbles and adding the measured salt and optional pepper. Work in batches if crowded, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
- In a second skillet over medium heat, fry the prepared uncooked salt-only bacon until mostly cooked. Remove and reserve the pieces, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- Saute the sliced or quartered mushrooms in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until soft and no longer releasing water, about 15 minutes. Mix with the browned beef.
- Just before mixing the filling, warm the hydrated gelatin gently over low heat, stirring until fluid and fully dissolved, without boiling. Remove from the heat and whisk promptly into the softened yogurt cheese rather than leaving it to cool and firm again.
- Whisk the dissolved gelatin mixture into the softened, fully drained yogurt cheese until evenly combined. Add optional crushed garlic, then the beef, mushrooms and parsley. Stir through and transfer to the greased dish, pressing the surface even. Top with grated cheddar and chopped or crumbled reserved bacon.
- Bake on the lowest oven rack with the baking sheet beneath the dish for about 35 minutes, until hot and bubbling with melted cheddar. Check that the center reaches 165°F and give it longer if needed.
- Rest on a sturdy trivet for 20 minutes, then scoop the measured number of servings. The warm egg-free filling is soft and spoonable; do not expect a firm egg-custard slice.
Notes
Eight servings. Thirty minutes of preparation includes skillet work and the five-minute gelatin bloom, followed by about thirty-five minutes baking and a twenty-minute rest: eighty-five minutes total. Culturing, draining and curing the homemade ingredients, and any extra time to reach 165°F in the center, are additional.
This egg-free formula uses gelatin and measured water in place of eggs. Bloom in cold water, then gently warm until fully dissolved before mixing with softened, fully drained yogurt cheese. Do not add eggs to this version.
Expect soft, scoopable filling when warm. Gelatin is heat-reversible and does not form a firm hot egg custard. Cooling can add body; reheating softens the filling.
Weigh the cheese after draining homemade yogurt fermented at least twenty-four hours. Use prepared salt-only bacon while still uncooked, then fry it during this recipe; save fat for the mushrooms and pieces for the topping.
Full GAPS after all ingredients and both dairy foods are introduced. Contains dairy and plants. Use plain unflavored gelling bovine gelatin, not collagen peptides or sweetened dessert mix.
At 2× use two dishes and double every measured ingredient, including four tablespoons gelatin and one cup cold water. Check each center and rest each dish; baking time does not automatically double.
Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below, within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Use within three to four days or freeze up to three months. Thaw refrigerated; reheat to 165°F.