Is it an omelette? A quiche? Or a casserole?
Jump to RecipeIt’s a frittata! If you’re new to this easy, versatile, and filling little dish then let me tell you something! You need to know about this gal. She will come to your rescue for the rest of time. So, what is a frittata? Think: fancy omelette. At times, she’s mistaken for a quiche, which is not a bad thing. But unlike a quiche there is no crust (whew) and less milk/cream. So, a frittata acts more like an omelet in a skillet, who’s totally upped their game.
A frittata is less involved that a quiche and get’s along with EVERYONE. You can absolutely play the frittata card for dinner, lunch, brunch, or breakfast. Or those times you need to “take them a meal”. Pair it with fresh fruit or a salad and you’re golden. Feel free to add some crusty bread or a baguette if you are missing the baked goodness of a crust.
My Frittata Formula
My favorite way to incorporate a skillet frittata into my routine is when “I just can’t” with dinner and want to ward off any hangry people coming at me. It goes like this. What do I have in my fridge that will get along well and taste delicious wrapped in eggs and cheese? (You know that covers at least 3,568 things that exist). For me, this usually means I grab some combination of the following.
Open fridge and take a look around…
- pork (bacon, ham, sausage, left over pork carnitas… like this favorite)
- veggie (spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli remnants from a previous dinner)
- aromatics (garlic, onions, shallots, chilis, ginger, etc) These should be crushed or sauted to release their best selves. Find out more aromatic benefits here
- cheese (open your fridge and grab what you have) My favorites are gruyere and smoked cheddar but you do you!
- eggs, duh.
- seasonings (salt & pepper, garlic powder, seasoning blend, hot sauce, fresh thyme or basil) Don’t be shy on the seasoning AND taste as you go. If tasting raw eggs frightens you, season your veggies first and taste those then add a some more to egg mixture.
So, give your eggs a new attitude and bake them in a frittata with whatever you’ve got hanging around in our fridge. If you happen to be running to the grocery store then pick up your favorite combination of goodies from my list above and go at it. Be creative, be bold, and try something new!
What’s In the Fridge Frittata
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or greek yogurt
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dash hot sauce optional
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 1 8-10 oz sliced mushrooms baby bella or button
- 1 6 oz. bag baby spinach
Italian version
- first 6 ingredients from above
- 1 Tbs ghee or butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup Monterey or mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups onions sliced
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms sautéed
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes strips
- 1/4 cup store bought pesto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 ºF
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, thyme and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in shredded cheese. Set aside.
- Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes, reserving 2 tablespoons excess fat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add garlic and mushrooms to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in spinach until the spinach just begins to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in egg mixture and bacon, setting aside 2 tablespoons of the bacon, until well combined. Cook, undisturbed, until edges are set, about 2 minutes. Top with remaining bacon.
- Place into oven and bake until top is set and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. I like to add a couple extra tablespoons of shredded cheese to the top during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Serve immediately.
Italian version
- Preheat oven to 425 ºF
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, thyme and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in shredded cheese. Set aside.
- Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil to skillet. Once shimmering, add mushrooms and onions, sprinkle with a little kosher salt and leave alone until they begin to brown on the bottom. Then stir occasionally until both are a bit caramelized and crispy on the edges.
- Stir in egg mixture and sun-dried tomatoes, setting some tomatoes aside for topping. Cook, undisturbed, until edges are set, about 2 minutes. Top with remaining tomatoes. Pop into the oven for 15 minutes or until eggs are set.
- This is amazing topped with pesto!
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup chopped onions with the garlic. Or replace both onion and garlic with 3 chopped shallots. Or sprinkle two chopped green onions on top with the reserved bacon.
- In place of gruyere cheese, use smoked cheddar, cheddar, or swiss.
- In place of spinach, use chopped broccoli or kale or leave greens out completely. You'll be fine!
- Use chopped chorizo sausage or your favorite variety instead of bacon.
- Replace fresh thyme with 1/2 teaspoon of dried or chopped fresh basil or rosemary.
- Replace mushrooms with diced potatoes and saute same as mushrooms with salt and pepper.
XOXO,
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