Do you have a bunch of eggs that you’re not sure what to do with? Maybe you have backyard chickens and can’t quite keep up with their egg production. Or perhaps you have odds and ends of leftover potatoes or veggies in the fridge that you need to use up. Enter: The Frittata. My absolute favorite way to make a meal out of leftovers.
How do you like your frittatas? Leave me a comment below with your favorite combinations.
Jump to RecipeWhat is a Frittata?
A frittata is similar to an open-faced omelet or a crustless quiche. It is an egg dish that usually has vegetables, cheese, sometimes meat, and sometimes potatoes. It is very versatile, and can be made according to what you have on hand.
The word frittata comes from an Italian word that roughly means “fried.” The frittata was inspired in part by Spanish tortillas, which consist of fried potatoes surrounded by baked eggs, as well as the French omelet, which is fluffy eggs folded over.
I love that I can use up anything in the fridge and put it in the frittata. The variations are nearly endless: greens, garlic, and Parmesan; tomato, basil, and goat cheese; asparagus, peas, and Gouda.
The version I made this time around includes potatoes, greens, mushrooms, and goat cheese. I wanted to make a meal that didn’t require any sides. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but I especially like to make this ahead of time and just reheat it for lunch.
Misfits Market
While I love to garden when it’s the season for it, I also love using Misfits Market to order produce. I order the fruits and vegetables that I need, and sometimes pantry items and meat, and it’s delivered right to my door. This makes meal planning so much easier when I can glance I my plan for next week and just type in my phone the ingredients I need. So convenient.
Misfits Market is the online value grocer dedicated to making affordable, high-quality food more accessible while helping break the cycle of food waste. We work directly with farmers and food producers to source organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, sustainable pantry staples, and other groceries that might otherwise go to waste and deliver them to you at up to 40% off grocery store prices.
How to Make a Frittata
There are tons of versions of frittatas out there, but today I wanted to provide a basic template that gives you a sense of proportions and cooking times. This way you can personalize it to suit your tastes as well as use what you already have on hand.
The basic proportions, along with suggestions for what to use, are as follows:
- 12 eggs (it sounds like a lot, but remember, this is a complete dish!)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, whole milk, or coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetables (can be summer squash, greens, peas, beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc.)
- 1-2 cup starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash)
- 1 cup meat or mushrooms (adds a nice umami flavor)
- 1 cup aromatics (onions, leeks, shallots, plus 2 cloves of garlic)
- 1/2-1 cup cheese (optional – can either bake it into the frittata or, if it’s raw, add after cooking to preserve the probiotic benefits)
- 1 tablespoon fat to saute the veggies (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, or tallow)
- 1 tablespoon dried herbs (optional, but adds a little something extra)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
After sauteing the vegetables and aromatics you’ve chosen, you will add the whisked eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and herbs. Slide it into a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 15 minutes until set. Although no sides are necessary to complete this meal, it does pair well with a light salad.
Your Turn
And now, what will you choose for your frittata? What do you already have on hand? Here are some combinations that always win me over:
- Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese
- Sweet potato, Italian sausage, and herbs
- Tomato, basil, and goat cheese
The beauty of frittatas is you can use what you got. And if you don’t have all the ingredients for the basic frittata, this recipe is forgiving enough that you can choose to leave out the starchy vegetables, or the cheese, or the meat, and it will still taste amazing.
And Don’t Forget About These Recipes!
Thanks for reading everyone, and I’ll see you next time!
Rebekah
How to Make a Basic Frittata
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet, or skillet that can go in the oven
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1/4 cup cream heavy cream or coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetables I used kale; you can also use summer squash, other greens, peas, asparagus, broccoli, etc.
- 1-2 cups starchy vegetable, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or winter squash optional; I used potatoes
- 1 cup mushrooms or meat I used mushrooms; you can use crumbled sausage, ground meat, or shredded chicken
- 1 cup aromatics, such as onions, leeks, shallots, herbs, garlic I used 1 small onion and 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2-1 cup cheese optional, I used raw goat cheese on top
- 1 tbsp fat such as olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, butter, tallow, etc.
- 1 tbsp dried herbs optional
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep your vegetables by washing, peeling, chopping. In my case, I chopped the onion and got it sauteing in a large cast iron pan in a little bit of bacon fat. While it was cooking, I minced my garlic and added that in. I continued with chopping the mushrooms and adding those, and finally the kale. Saute for about 10 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and dried herbs, if using. Whisk together and pour over the cooked vegetables in the pan. Stir a bit to even out the distribution of vegetables throughout. You can sprinkle the cheese on top now if it's not raw. If it is raw, I recommend adding it at the end to preserve the probiotic benefits.
- Bake for 15 minutes until frittata is set.
