I am a huge proponent of eating eggs morning, noon and night. But even an omelette can feel like too much of an ordeal, especially when there are multiple mouths to feed.
That’s why I love a frittata – a large dish of baked eggs. It’s the ideal one-pan meal, easy enough to put together after work and classy enough to serve a crowd at Sunday brunch. Eat it warm, at room temperature or cold, next to a salad or piled inside a fluffy biscuit. Anything goes.
That’s not only true of how you eat it but what you make it with. I started with a Tyler Florence recipe I printed out years ago (so old I don’t think it’s even online anymore) but started tinkering with it until I came up with a combination that I liked. Onions are a must – for me, anyway – but I discarded the suggested potatoes in favour of mushrooms, as my husband and I always, always burned our tongues on the steaming spuds as soon as the frittata came out of the oven.
I never had the suggested Gruyere on hand, while pepper Jack – great for its spicy kick and colourful flecks of pepper – has a permanent place in my refrigerator. Or sometimes I just toss in whatever surplus veggies (I endorse bell peppers and Swiss chard) or cheese bits need to be used up.
I encourage you to think of this recipe as a starting point, too. Really, the only mandatory ingredients are the eggs and milk.
I prefer how easily the frittata comes out of a nonstick skillet, but it can also be made in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Anytime Frittata Recipe:
[Servings: 4 to 6]
Based on a Tyler Florence recipe formerly posted on FoodNetwork.com.
INGREDIENTS
8 large eggs
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
1 cup grated pepper Jack cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow or white onion, cut into ¼-inch slices
227g sliced mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch wide, 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, milk and half the cheese in a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once the butter has melted and stopped foaming, add the onion, mushrooms and red bell pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently until the onion has softened and started taking on some colour and most of the moisture released by the mushrooms has evaporated.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a plate. Wipe out the skillet and return it to the stovetop, over medium-high heat.
Add the oil and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Once the butter melts and the oil begin to shimmer, pour in the egg mixture. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it just begins to set around the edges. (If the eggs are bubbling too much or getting too firm elsewhere, reduce the heat.) Scatter the vegetable mixture over the eggs, then the remaining cheese.
Transfer to the oven; bake (middle rack) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the frittata looks puffy (it will deflate when it comes out of the oven) and golden brown on the edges and in spots.
Let cool for a few minutes, then run a heatproof spatula around the edges and slide onto a large plate for serving.
Or serve directly from the skillet.
