Over the past month, I have a had a few nights (ok, more than a few) where I had absolutely nothing planned for dinner. A fridge full of food, yes. Random vegetables, hunks of cheese…but bits and pieces here and there does not always make a meal. Oh, but there are those eggs we bought from the farm. One night I started grabbing all of the random food out of my fridge and began to build this simple and quick dinner frittata.
A frittata is basically just scrambled eggs with some added veggies/meat/cheese and finished off in the oven. Simple really, but calling it a frittata makes it easier for my husband to have breakfast for dinner. He prefers to save breakfast for the weekends only. Poor guy, barely even eats lunch during the week.
My first frittata attempt included the following:
- Vegetables: Asparagus, Corn, Tomato
- Cheese: Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Goat Cheese
- Herbs & Spices: fresh Basil, Paprika
My second test included these ingredients:
- Vegetables: Broccoli and fresh peas
- Cheese: Gruyere, Mozzerella, Parmesan and Smoked Gouda
- Herbs and Spices: Dried Basil
Here is a quick tip:
When I first created this recipe, I was in a rush to make dinner for the family before I had to leave for an evening appointment. After pulling the frittata out of the oven, I wasn’t thinking and grabbed the handle with my bare hand.
!@%#$!!!
It immediately swelled and blistered, and I was annoyed that I hadn’t been paying attention. To keep from making my silly mistake, slide an oven mitt over the handle (see the picture above) after the frittata is done so you won’t get hurt if you forget the handle is hot.
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups prepared vegetables
- Optional: 1/2 cup cooked meat, potato or rice
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs and/or 1 teaspoon spices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 cup of cheese, salt and some freshly ground pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large oven-proof (preferably non-stick) sauté pan or skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, but not brown. (I used a 12" skillet.)
- Add the vegetables and any meat, potato or rice you may be using. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until warmed. (If you want to cook any raw vegetables in the same pan: when the onion and garlic is soft, add the vegetables and about 1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable broth. Cover and steam until the vegetables are cooked and the broth is evaporated. Remove the cover and then add in any additional cooked vegetables or meat/potato/rice and proceed as follows.)
- Pour your egg mixture into the pan and blend with the vegetables. Allow to cook undisturbed for 4-6 minutes, until the egg starts to set up on the sides of the pan.
- Using a heat-proof spatula, separate the cooked egg from the side of pan and tilt the pan around so that any uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat this around the entire pan until most of the egg is set. The egg should still be wet and somewhat runny.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and your herbs/spices over the eggs then place in the oven.
- Bake until the eggs completely set and puffy, about 7 minutes. To test, jiggle the pan a little. If the egg springs back, it is ready. If you see some liquid, it still needs more time.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Slice into wedges and serve.
This recipe makes a large amount, feeding around 8 full servings. I was happy to keep the leftovers in the fridge and heat up for a quick breakfast or lunch. What is your favorite recipe for cleaning out the fridge?
Frittata is one of my very favorite ways to use up leftovers; I even wrote a recipe for one as my blog swap post! I too have absolutely grabbed a hot pan handle when removing my frittata from the oven or slicing it after taking it out. It’s one of those things that you only have to do once or twice before you never forget again.
I went and checked out your recipe – yum! I’ve been so happy with these frittatas, especially since I hate it when we waste perfectly good food. And yes, the hot pan left a teeny scar on my palm… definitely a reminder not to do that again!