This little flatbread recipe harkens back to my favorite old school diners, the ones that were open 24 hours a day, ready to make breakfast at the drop of a hat. We stumbled upon one in the old part of Las Vegas in the wee hours of the morning: a gorgeous vintage diner, complete with quilted metal walls, Art Deco era stools, and a team of breakfast cooks that were about the best I’ve seen. Watching this team of three line cooks making a restaurant’s worth of breakfasts was watching poetry in motion. Every movement was efficient, calculated, and precise. With delicious results! We were stuffed after eating breakfast specials that included ham, eggs, and crispy potatoes. I’ll never forget that little place. Although after being up all night in that city, it may well have been a mirage in the desert.

In the restaurant business, it’s difficult to find a good breakfast staff. First of all, no one wants to wake up that early, and when they do, it’s not always cake and roses, most people are grumpy. Employee turnover is common, so when breakfast places find a good cook, someone who can cook guest’s eggs to order and do it quickly, they’d better hold on to them and treat them well.

I love eating breakfast, but my wardrobe would never allow me to eat out at diners every day. These days, when I crave that breakfast special experience, I make this diner-inspired flatbread at home, with crispy potatoes, ham, scrambled eggs, and hot sauce. What happened in Vegas doesn’t always have to stay in Vegas!

-Amy at Flatout