Frittata, Have It Your Way!
We love a frittata, mostly because it’s just a little less fussy than an omelet. What is the difference between an omelette and an Italian frittata? Frittatas incorporate the fillings into the egg mixture, but with omelettes you kind of just gently fold the egg over the fillings. Frittatas are a fabulous way to use what you have on hand–including leftovers and pre-cooked vegetables. Just make sure everything is properly seasoned before incorporating it into the egg mixture. Frittatas are also super flexible, because it tastes as good cold as it does room temperature, or straight out of the oven (or warmed up in the microwave), for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Is a frittata hard to make? Absolutely not! If you can make scrambled eggs, you can definitely make a mouthwatering egg frittata, and it requires almost no effort.
Meet Frittata, You’re New Favorite Baked Egg Dish
What is a frittata? It’s your new favorite go-to meal option! The combination of cheese, vegetables, and meat baked into a custardy egg base make it an easy weeknight dinner solution. Another reason to love frittatas? There's no crust! Unlike a quiche, frittatas are cooked directly in the pan. You can make a frittata ahead of serving it, either by baking it completely and storing it in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve, or preparing the filling partially in advance. Frittatas hold up well for two days after baking, or you can prepare the egg mixture two days ahead of time and store in the fridge in a container with a tight fitting lid until you’re ready to bake. You can also prepare your cooked veggies ahead of time. Just store them in the fridge in an airtight container, and add them to the skillet in Step 2 of our recipe to warm them through.
Make It a Meal–What To Serve With Frittata
Breakfast frittata-for dinner is often on the menu at our houses. We like to cook up a frittata using items that might have been lingering in the corners of our fridge for a little too long. Once you assemble all of the humble components of your frittata, serve it up with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (or Crispy Smashed Potatoes or Patatas Bravas, we just love potatoes) and a Simple Butter Lettuce Salad for any meal–breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Every frittata recipe is an easy frittata recipe, and that’s why we love it so.
How To Make Frittata, A Note On Dairy
Let’s get down to brass tacks (*cracks knuckles and looks directly into the camera*). Do you add water or milk to a frittata? Let’s just say that full-fat milk is the best way to go. Water will work, but you won’t get the density and rich texture you’ll get when you use a full-fat liquid (like heavy cream). Sour cream, crème fraîche or yogurt can be substituted for the heavy cream in this recipe. Again, any other milk with less fat will make a frittata watery. Sad trombone! So, use the heavy cream! Or whole milk. But please stay away from skim milk or water.
Ideas For Frittata Fillings
The possibilities are endless. Really, this is your time to shine. We like to start with classic combinations we’ve seen elsewhere (quiche recipes like Quiche Lorraine and Tomato, Basil & Caramelized Onion Quiche are a great inspiration) as a surefire path to success, but hey, don’t hold yourself back! For example, spinach-bacon-cheddar is a winner, but so is spinach-caramelized onion-Swiss. Basically any veg-meat-cheese combo is going to be good! The fun thing about frittatas is that there isn’t really a wrong answer. We’ve made a list of some of our favorite fillings, and we hope that you choose your own adventure. Your next frittata can also be easily cooked in a cast-iron skillet, casserole dish, or muffin tin for mini frittatas. Just don't forget the cooking spray and have fun!!
Favorite cheese for frittatas: Goat cheese, feta, white or yellow cheddar, havarti, low-moisture mozzarella, or swiss.
Any of these fresh herbs: Basil, chives, green onions, cilantro, dill, or thyme (for thyme only use 1 teaspoon).
All the veggies, but especially these: zucchini, broccoli, summer squash, asparagus, tomatoes, bell peppers, canned artichokes, mushrooms, onions, or caramelized onions.
These greens are great: Kale leaves, swiss chard leaves, spinach, or arugula.
No bacon? Try these: 4 ounces pancetta, cooked, 1 cup browned breakfast sausage or ½ cup additional cooked vegetables (for vegetarian) such as caramelized onions.
Tools You’ll Need
Eggs Every Way
Eggs really are edible and incredible. Here’s a few more of our favorite way to eat them:
Turn On The Oven And Invite Your Friends Over!
Did you make an easy peasy frittata for your full houses? Snap a photo of your fluffy filled frittata, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!