Suzy Homemaker's zucchini (courgette) & bacon slice

To me, this is proper 'Suzy Homemaker'/1970's Australian housewife stuff. Good, honest, nothing fancy, 'stick it in the oven and let it to its thing' kind of food... that everyone just so happens to love! It's also perfect lunch box, work lunch, or picnic food. ​

We had a few friends pop over for an impromptu brunch on the weekend, and I whipped-up this incredibly delicious, veggie-filled zucchini and bacon slice. We all loved it. The neighbours asked what I'd been cooking because it smelled amazing. And then everyone wanted the recipe. To be honest, I was not expecting such a response, otherwise I'd have attempted to take a better photo ;-) 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 zucchini (courgettes, for everyone else!)
• 2 carrots
• 8 small mushrooms
• 2 red onions
• 1 small capsicum (any colour), seeded (peppers, for everyone else!)
• 175g pkt of lardons or diced short cut bacon
• 1 cup (120g) cheese, grated (we used mature Gouda, but cheddar is perfectly ok)
• 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
• 5 Free Range Eggs 
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• 2 tablespoon olive oil to grease the baking tray
• Serve with steamed veg or salad

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm x 30cm tray with olive oil. 
• Fry-off the bacon in a non-stick frypan. Sit to let cool. 
• If using a food processor (we did), chop the zucchini/courgette, carrot, capsicum/peppers and onion,  into manageable pieces. If not using a food processor, simply grate the zucchini/courgette and carrot, and finely dice the rest of the veg.
• Add manageable chunks to processor - one vegetable type at a time (carrots will require more pulses than the rest, so you're much better off doing this is batches) and pulse a few times until nicely diced, but not too fine! Texture is good ;-). Decant each batch/vegetable type into a large mixing bowl as you're done.
• Add your grated cheese and flour to the veggie mix and stir to combine.
• Add the whisked eggs and milk to the veggie mix and stir to combine.
  
• Add the bacon and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Pour the mixture into the greased tray and smooth the surface. Bake for 45 mins or until firm to the touch. Cut into squares.
• Serve with steamed veggies or mixed salad leaves.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and enjoy the leftovers hot or cold for breakfast, lunch or dinner!