Elevate your brunch with this simple frittata recipe
A frittata is a baked egg dish that sits at the intersection between an omelette and a crustless quiche, but is way less work than either. It’s also a great way to use up the odds and ends in your fridge; feel free to come up with your own creative combinations. You can prep the fillings ahead of time, then just whisk everything together and have a hot, satisfying lunch, brunch or dinner on the table in about half an hour.
Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients
- Fillings and add-ins (see sidebar)
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 oz (about 1 cup) grated cheese such as Cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère or Asiago
- 1 Tbsp butter or as needed
Instructions
Prepare your filling and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Stir in the fillings and the grated cheese of your choice.
In an 8- or 10-inch ovenproof, nonstick sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Pour the frittata mixture into the pan, cook for a couple of minutes just until the egg mixture starts to set around the edges, then place in the oven and bake until set, 20 to 23 minutes. Be sure to keep a dish towel over the pan handle after you remove it from the oven; otherwise it’s easy to forget that it’s hot and burn your hand.
Slice into wedges and, if you like, serve with bread and salad.
Basic Fillings
You can cook all of these in the same skillet you plan to use for the frittata, which means you don’t even have to wash it in between. Just remember to cool the fillings to room temperature before adding them to the egg mixture.
Spinach: Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot (or about half a smallish onion) and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in 10 oz baby spinach leaves and a large pinch of salt. Cook until wilted and moisture has largely evaporated. (You can also squeeze out the liquid once the spinach has cooled.) Cool to room temperature and, if you like, chop it fine.
Zucchini: Grate 12 oz zucchini (about 2 small) on the large holes of a box grater and squeeze out any excess moisture. Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in the zucchini along with ½ tsp salt and cook until soft and most of the moisture has evaporated.
Mushrooms: Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot (or about half a smallish onion) and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in 1 to 1½ cups of sliced mushrooms, ½ tsp salt and, if you like, a generous pinch of thyme leaves. Cook until soft and lightly golden brown.
Optional Add-ins
You can zhuzh up any of the basic fillings above by adding a small handful of one or several of the following to the filling mixture: sun-dried or halved cherry tomatoes; cooked and sliced baby potatoes; broccoli or cauliflower florets; roasted red bell peppers or minced jalapeños; ham or bacon; cured or cooked sausage; shrimp or smoked salmon; fresh herbs such as basil, chives, thyme or oregano.
You can also top your frittata with a handful of arugula and/or a crumble of goat or feta cheese.
