A frittata is one of our favorite meals; I make one almost every week. It is similar to an omelet, but it doesn't brown on the outside like an omelet (which hubby dislikes). It is also similar to a quiche or breakfast casserole, though mostly cooked on the stove top and only run under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese, thus is faster and has less clean-up.
We don't do a meatless day for frugality like some do, but I tend to do a couple low-meat meals, one in which I make some sort of bean or pea soup with a quarter to a half pound of meat and the other in which I do a frittata with a similar amount of meat. Usually, we're talking bacon, ham or sausage - but it's there mostly for flavor.
Frittatas are frugal because most of the protein and healthy fat comes from pastured eggs, a much cheaper source than grass-fed meat. They also use up odds-and-ends of vegetables before they go bad.
While I give a recipe below, the method is what matters as I rarely use the same exact ingredients week to week.
ingredients
- 2 TB bacon grease (can substitute coconut oil, lard or tallow)
- 2 medium white or sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 - 1/2 lb ham, bacon or sausage, cooked and diced
- a medium onion, diced
- a bell pepper, diced
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 TB milk
- 1/2 a tomato, sliced (optional)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (we prefer a mild cheddar)
method
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Heat bacon grease over high heat in an oven-safe skillet.
- When grease just starts smoking, toss in potatoes and stir rapidly to coat with hot oil. Continue stirring occasionally until potatoes begin to brown.
- Reduce heat to medium and add precooked meat and all vegetables except tomatoes. Stir occasionally until veggies are softened.
- Whisk eggs with milk and pour into pan. Whisk until soft-set, then remove from heat.
- Cover with tomato slices, if using. Sprinkle cheese over top.
- Place under broiler until cheese is melted and browned.
more details about my frittata
| Notes | Pictures |
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| The fat should just barely be smoking when you add the potatoes; stir rapidly so they get coated with oil and won't stick to the pan. Keep stirring occasionally until they're just beginning to brown. I'm using a cast-iron chicken-fryer here instead of a skillet. It's similar to a skillet, but has higher edges, making it much deeper. This is handy if making a really BIG frittata, but the recipe as given will fit in an ordinary skillet. |
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| Turn heat down now; you needed it high to brown the potatoes without burning, but need it to cool before you add the eggs. Add precooked meat and diced vegetables. Don't add tomatoes now as they give off too much water and prevent the eggs from cooking; add them just before the cheese, if using. Mushrooms also give off a lot of water, so if using them, they should be precooked. The night I took these pictures, our frittata included white potatoes, bacon, yellow onions and a yellow bell pepper. |
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| Whisk the egg/milk mixture constantly once added, as if making scrambled eggs. Remove from heat while soft-set (slightly wet). The eggs will not be all together like an omelet or casserole yet, but in bits like scrambled eggs. The time under the broiler makes it solidify into a slice-able concoction. |
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| Add sliced tomatoes (if using) and cheese, then broil. Watch closely, the difference between melted and browned cheese and burnt cheese is only a minute! Frittata, get into my belly! |
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