Country French Omelet

My feelings about Ina Garten are hard to put into words; I adore her, but I sort of hate her at the same time. She seems sort of stuck-up, but also there's something really warm and welcoming about her. I think maybe I'm just jealous of her perfect house and her amazing kitchen and her obvious wealth, etc. etc.

So while my feelings about Ina herself may be a little mixed, my feelings about her food are definitely not: I love it. I've loved every single one of her recipes that I've tried, and I appreciate the fact that they're so simple to prepare and are made with such readily available ingredients. I was browsing through one of her cookbooks a couple of weekends ago, and when I saw this omelet I knew I had to try it. And I'm so glad I did. Joe and I were both absolutely blown away by this meal. It's made with simple ingredients, but the final dish is just so unbelievably good. You could play with the ingredients a lot, which is something I'll surely do in the future, but I'd suggest making it Ina's way at least once. Yummy!

Country French Omelet
Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup diced, unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 extra-large eggs (I used six large eggs)
3 tablespoons milk
Dash of hot sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the bacon to a 10-inch skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until the bacon is browned but not crisp. Take the bacon out of the pan and set aside on a plate.

3. Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until very tender and browned. Remove to the same plate with the bacon.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together with a fork. After the potatoes are removed, pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan.

5. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes, and chives evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set. Slide onto a plate, divide in half, and serve hot.