Bacon cheddar zucchini bread

This bread from Honeytrap on Auckland's Karangahape Road is addictive. good served a herbed butter, with cream cheese or topped with fried or scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Ingredients

3 pieces	Bacon, strips thick cut, chopped (Main)
1 ½ cups	Zucchini, grated, squeezed, and drained
1 ½ cups	Cheddar cheese, sharp, grated (Main)
4	Spring onions, chopped
1 Tbsp	Chopped thyme, leaves only
1 ¾ cups	Plain flour
1 tsp	Baking powder
½ tsp	Salt
¼ tsp	Paprika
3	Eggs
⅓ cup	Milk
⅓ cup	Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare a 9 x 5 inch metal loaf pan with butter or olive oil.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towels.
3. Combine bacon, zucchini, cheese, spring onions and thyme in a small bowl.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and paprika in a mixing bowl. In another large mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, and milk.
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Fold in the bacon, zucchini and cheese mixture.
6. Smooth batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan, 5 minutes, then turn on to a rack and let the bread cool completely.
8. To serve, slice thickly and toast in a sandwich press or dry frying pan. This will melt the cheese in the bread a bit, making it go golden and crispy on the outside.