Italian Brunch Torte

As you know, the family eats Sunday Brunch at my home after church. Flavorful, new, inspiring dishes for brunch every week can be a challenge. In addition, brunch cooks while we are away at church. 

This dish is absolutely delicious and flavorful. I was a little nervous about the ingredients and actually tested this dish before serving it to the family. Salami is not a great breakfast item, but this dish is so good that even some friends we had for brunch did not know it was there. 

The only drawback to this dish is the prep time. I learned from the first time making it to prep the night before as much as possible. It really does take 50 minutes to prepare. 

Make sure you let it rest for 20 minutes and put it on a solid surface... the first one I made slipped right off the cake plate but landed face up. It looks terrible but was delicious. So I made another one!

 

It is worth the effort…. Absolutely delicious and a spectacular brunch dish.

Italian Brunch Torte

Ingredients

• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 7 Eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami
• 1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese

Optional (I did not include)

• 2 jars (12 ounces each) roasted sweet red peppers, drained sliced and patted dry

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Unroll one tube of crescent dough and separate into triangles. Press onto bottom of prepared pan to form a crust, sealing seams well. Bake 10-15 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Drain on several layers of paper towels, blotting well. In a large bowl, whisk seven eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and pepper.

Layer crust with half of the ham, salami, provolone cheese, and spinach mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers; top with remaining egg mixture.

On a work surface, unroll and separate remaining crescent dough into triangles. Press together to form a circle and seal seams; place over filling. 

Brush with an egg wash. 

Bake, uncovered, 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 160°, covering loosely with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. Carefully loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove rim from pan. Let stand 20 minutes.