Until last week, I was afraid of frittatas. Not afraid in that I thought it was going to attack me, but afraid in that I thought it would be too difficult or extra complicated for me to cook.
I’m pretty sure you knew which sort of afraid I meant. I just wanted to make sure you were listening. :)
I received a very lovely enamel cast iron dutch oven for Christmas (I also have the 7 quart) which just so happens to be 10 inches in diameter and therefore perfect for cooking frittatas. Obviously, a cast iron skillet would be slightly better, but my cast iron skillet is too big to make this particular recipe.
Anyway, my point is that it turns out frittatas are very easy, and, as long as you have some sort of oven proof skillet or pot, require no extra tools or odd ingredients. In fact, the great thing about frittatas is that you can put pretty much anything you want into them. They’re like omelets without all the flipping. I also find them to be quite frugal as it didn’t require me to buy anything else and helped me use up ingredients I already had on hand. And they taste good. It’s a win-win all around.
Bacon, Spinach, and Cheese Frittata – serves 1-2
2 slices bacon
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, sliced
4 large eggs
Large handful of baby spinach
⅓ cup cheese of your choice (fontina, gruyere, or mozzarella are all good options), diced into small pieces or shredded
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray a 10-inch oven proof skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook to desire degree of crunchiness, turning occasionally. Remove bacon from skillet and crumble; set aside. Wipe bacon grease of skillet, return to heat, and add olive oil*. Toss in the shallot and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent, but not brown. You may need to lower the heat to medium low to prevent the shallot from getting brown. This would also be an excellent time to deglaze the pan with a little white wine to scrape up all the tasty bacon bits that got left behind. This, of course, is completely optional but completely delicious.
Beat eggs in medium bowl. Stir in crumbled bacon, spinach, cheese, cooked shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. Spray your pan again (to ensure the eggs don’t stick) and pour in the egg mixture. Place back on the stove top, over medium high heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to preheated oven and cook until eggs are set, 10-12 minutes.
Place a plate over the top of the skillet and invert. As long as your pan was well greased, the frittata should come out evenly. Serve with toast or a salad to make a complete meal.
*You can also do as I did, and just use the bacon grease to cook your shallots in. But that’s just a matter of taste and unhealthiness.
Note: Frittatas can be refrigerated in a sealed Tupperware container for up to three days. Reheat in a 350° for 5-7 minutes.
This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Delicious Dishes.
