Why it works: Milk and cheddar cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,964 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Egg Pie
Serves 8Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cut bacon into small pieces and sauté until brown.
Crush crackers.
Beat eggs in a bowl.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Make and bake the pie
Add crackers, milk, salt, and pepper to the eggs, then stir in cheese.
Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
Add bacon on top of the mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until a knife comes out clean when the pie is tested.
Serve
Cut the pie into wedges.
Serve with jam.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Milk + cheddar cheesetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,964 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Pepper + cheddar cheesetop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,016 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Egg + cheddar cheesetop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,287 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the custard so the pie holds together when cut.
- Soda crackers
- Absorb the milk and egg, giving the pie body and a soft structure.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and loosens the egg mixture for a tender texture.
- Cheddar cheese
- Adds richness and fat, and melts into the custard for savoury flavour.
- Bacon
- Adds salty, smoky flavour and fat, and browns for extra aroma.
The step that matters
Bake until a knife comes out clean. Eggs set as their proteins coagulate with heat. Pulling the pie too early leaves a runny centre, while overbaking makes it dry and rubbery.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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