After a lifetime of cooking, how did I not know about the frittata? Of course I had heard of it, but had never made one until recently. Somehow I had the idea that it was some kind of pathetic wanna-be quiche and would taste like a pitiful attempt at quiche, which is to say, meh. Not that I actually make and eat quiche, but still. After seeing recipe after recipe for a frittata, and simultaneously getting reallllly bored eating the same breakfast every day, I decided to give the following recipe a shot. Well, hallelujah, pass the hot sauce, this stuff is seriously delicious!
Pros: NO crust means fast fast fast. You can totally improvise and throw in anything that sounds vaguely interesting/clean out the veggie drawer/get creative. Leave out cheese and sub the milk with water or nut milk and it’s paleo! Cons: I honestly can’t think of any. 🙂
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup half n half (or full fat milk)
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus, washed and chopped into 2″ chunks
- 1 cup cheese- goat, shredded chipotle cheddar, whatever you happen to have in the fridge
- olive oil
- 1 cast iron pan- medium for a 6-egg frittata; large for a 12 egg frittata
- Frittatas are about the easiest and most versatile entree ever. The basic formula is 1/4 cup milk for every 6 eggs. Add salt and pepper. If you are using grated cheese, add most of it into the eggs. (Reserve some cheese for topping at the end.) Beat the mixture until it is combined.
- The fillings are where you get creative. If you are using an assortment of veggies (like I have listed above), saute the veggies in olive oil until soft before adding the eggs to the pan. If you are adding meat, cook the meat first before adding the egg mixture to the pan. Basically, whatever add-ins are going into the frittata, make sure they are cooked first. Yes, you can do the whole procedure in ONE pan.
- After the add-ins are cooked, turn the heat on your pan down to medium. If necessary, you may have to pull the pan off the flame to let the pan cool. Eggs want to be cooked slowly, so medium to medium low heat is advised. Pour the egg mixture into the pan over the top of the add-ins and gently stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top, or if you are using goat cheese, just drop dollops of goat cheese randomly over the top. Oh yeah.
- Now the rest is easy. Continue cooking the frittata on the stove on medium heat, and turn on the broiler in the oven. The frittata is going to slowly cook from the bottom. When the sides start to look as if they are starting to pull away from ther sides of the pan (about 5 – 7 minutes), move the frittata under the broiler in the oven. The goal is to set the top of the frittata without overcooking it. Check the frittata every minute and pull it out when it is just starting to get golden. We’re talking 5 minutes max. It will continue cooking after you pull it out of the oven because cast iron retains heat and will be continuing to cook the frittata until it cools. The goal is to have a slightly custard-ish texture. You don’t want to overcook the frittata, or it will have the texture of a dry sponge. Easy does it!
- Serve with fruit and toast for breakfast, a salad and french bread for lunch or dinner, or do whatever you want!
- Some other ideas to try:
- asparagus + onions + spinach + chipotle cheddar (can personally vouch for this one!)
- onions + cooked italian sausage + cheese
- asparagus + smoked salmon + parsley
- bacon + onions + cubed potatoes (Can I get a “heck yeah” for the bacon?!)
- diced ham + leeks + brie/camembert
- Now I understand why there are photos of frittatas ALL over Pinterest! And yes, you can tell an old dog new tricks! Wuuf!
Ellie www.newcreationsministries.wordpress.com/
I so enjoy making frittatas because they can be made so many way with lots of different ingredients.
pax2006@comcast.net
As you can see, I was late to the game. LOL And yes, you are absolutely right, they are so versatile AND tasty.
Have a great day!