Frittata

This egg Frittata recipe is quick and easy to make, make ahead friendly, versatile and restaurant delicious! Although frittatas feel special, they are the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge meal. They are fabulous for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner, and a delicious way to feed a crowd. This frittata recipe is creamy, soft and custardy loaded with bacon, veggies and cheese for an explosion of texture and flavor. You can follow my recipe as written (my fav!) or I’ve included how to make a frittata with any veggies/protein you have on hand for the ultimate "how to make frittatas" guide!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings slices

Ingredients

Egg mixture

12 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil or 1 tsp dried
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 tsp EACH paprika, ground mustard, salt, pepper
4 dashes hot sauce
1 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese divided

Veggies and Bacon

8 oz. thick cut bacon
3-5 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion halved then thinly sliced
1 cup sweet potatoes peeled, chopped into ½” chunks
2 cups chopped broccoli about 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 Roma tomato seeded, chopped

Instructions

Working in two batches, cook bacon in a 12-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet or oven proof nonstick pan over medium-low heat, flipping a couple times until browned and crispy. (I prep my veggies and egg mixture while the bacon is cooking, see below.) Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Let bacon rest and then crumble; set aside.
Meanwhile, add chopped potatoes to a microwave safe bowl and add water to reach ¼” up the sides. Cover with a microwave safe lid and microwave for 4 minutes. Uncover and set aside.
Beat the eggs, heavy cream, seasonings and hot sauce together in a medium bowl (don’t overbeat). Stir in the basil, all of the Gruyere cheese and ½ cup mozzarella; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain all but 1 ½ tablespoons bacon grease from skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and bell peppers and cook an additional 4 minutes or until onions are caramelized and broccoli is tender-crisp; add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
Spread vegetables into an even layer, making sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon (to top the baked frittata) then evenly layer the vegetables with remaining bacon, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and spread into an even layer, pushing down any vegetables so they are submerged. Top evenly with remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the sides are just set then transfer skillet to the oven. Bake uncovered for 18-22 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese is melted and the center barely jiggles.
Rest for 5-10 minutes, then top with remaining bacon, slice and serve warm.

Notes

BASIC FRITTATA FORMULA

If you follow the following frittata formula, you can create any number of delightful combinations (see post for list of ideas):

12 eggs, whisked (don’t overbeat)
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 cups cooked vegetables (If starting with raw vegetables, you will need 4-5 cups because they will cook down - see post for ideas)
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated cheese (see post for ideas)
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Other seasonings

FRITTATA RULES FOR SUCCESS

No matter what you decide to add to your frittata, there are a few general rules that need to be followed for success. Once you master these tips and tricks, you’ll find oven frittatas are a cinch to throw together.

USE FULL-FAT DAIRY: An egg frittata should be creamy and never dry. If you’re you’ve experienced dry frittatas in the past, they have either been overcooked or did not use enough fat. For the most luscious, never-dry frittatas, I highly recommend heavy cream. You may also have success with half-and-half and whole milk mixed with a little sour cream or yogurt. I would avoid any milk other than whole milk. Two percent and skim milk will produce a less creamy, lackluster, eggy result.

DON’T OVER BEAT THE EGGS: Beat the eggs just enough to blend the whites and yolks. You don’t want to beat the eggs too much or you will incorporate too much air into the eggs; this will cause the frittata to poof in the oven and fall into a dense sad frittata after cooling. Over-beaten eggs can also become tough and rubbery.

USE A VARIETY OF VEGGIES: Frittatas are thick and savory, eggy custards and need lots of veggies to break up the creaminess. I highly recommend at least three different vegetables for a variety of flavor and texture. This oven frittata recipe uses 4 veggies (when you count the tomato) plus the onions for an explosion of delightful complexity in every bite.

USE COOKED VEGGIES: Vegetables need to be cooked prior to adding the egg mixture otherwise they won’t be tender by the time the eggs are done and you’ll end up with crunchy veggies. Raw vegetables will also release liquid into the frittata which can steam rather than bake resulting in a watery frittata that is less creamy.

Sauteed Veggies: you can cook the vegetables directly in the pan you’re going to cook the frittata in (like we do in this recipe). I love cooking them in leftover bacon, chorizo, or sausage drippings for added free flavor.
Roasted vegetables: are one of my favorite veggies to add to scrambled eggs and frittatas and the BEST way to use up leftover veggies. My roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, roasted butternut squash and roasted Brussels sprouts are all fabulous in frittatas.
Leftover cooked vegetables: if you’re using leftover vegetables, then sauté them for a couple minutes just to warm through before adding the eggs.

EVENLY DISTRIBUTE FILLING: It is important that you spread the veggies and protein out evenly before pouring the egg mixture over top – because once you add the eggs, the veggies and protein are stuck wherever they were placed. You want equal amounts of veggies in every bite.

DON’T SKIMP THE AROMATICS: Use plenty of onions and garlic to build the flavor base. In this oven frittata recipe, we caramelize thinly sliced the onions but you can also use chopped onions. You can use yellow onions, red onions, shallots or green onions – but use plenty of them! I also recommend 3-5 garlic cloves to flavor the entire dish.

MORE CHEESE PLEASE: Many egg frittata recipes don’t use enough cheese which means a less creamy, less tantalizing frittata. Cheese not only is a great way to introduce more flavor throughout the entire frittata, but amps up the creamy factor. I recommend at least 1 ½ cups soft melting cheese (see section on cheeses) and then you can use another cheese such as Parmesan, feta or sharp cheese that add flavor but don’t melt quite as well for the remaining half cup. No matter what cheese you choose, please only use freshly grated cheeses as packaged cheeses contain anti-clumping chemicals which inhibits their melting ability

DON’T OVERCOOK YOUR FRITTATA: There are a variety of factors when it comes to baking times such as pan material, actual ingredients, actual oven temperature, etc. so it is important to keep an eye on your frittata the last few minutes of baking, especially if you have never made the recipe before. You will want to bake the frittata until the edges are set and the center jiggles just a little when the pan is moved. The center will continue to cook and firm up once removed from the oven, so you don’t want it completely done. Also, resist the urge to broil your frittata or you’ll end up with a rubbery top.

CAN I MAKE FRITTATA AHEAD OF TIME?

This egg frittata can be made entirely ahead of time and reheated, can be assembled, refrigerated then baked OR for best results if serving company, prep some the element ahead of time then assemble and bake when ready to serve.

TO PREP AHEAD:

Cook bacon. You can cook the bacon up to three days in advance and store in an airtight container. Either save some of the bacon drippings to cook the veggies in or sauté the veggies immediately in the drippings per recipe instructions.
Cook veggies. Sauté the veggies in the bacon dripping per recipe instructions then store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Egg mixture. You can whisk the eggs, heavy cream, spices and cheeses together, cover, and store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Give the mixture a whisk before using.

CAN I MAKE FRITTATA THE NIGHT BEFORE?

Oven Frittatas can also be assembled the night before then, refrigerated until ready to bake, just hold the top layer of cheese until ready to pop into the oven:

To assemble in advance:

Cook the veggies/bacon per recipe instructions.
Whisk the egg ingredients together per recipe instructions in a large bowl.
Gently stir the veggies and bacon into the egg mixture just until evenly combined.
Tightly cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate a few hours up to 24.
When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 60 minutes before cooking.
Transfer mixture to a greased cast-iron skillet and top with remaining cheese.
Bake according to recipe directions, adding an additional 5 minutes if needed.

Storage

Frittatas make great leftovers all week long for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks! Slice up the frittata then transfer it in a single layer to an airtight container or stack the slices with parchment paper in between. When properly stored, frittata is good for 3-4 days.

How to REHEAT

You can reheat leftover egg frittata either in the microwave or the oven, although the oven will produce a better texture. The microwave can produce either soggy or rubbery results, so take care not to microwave too long.

Microwave: warm individual servings on a microwave safe plate in the microwave for about a minute or until warmed though. I like to cut my slice in half before microwaving so it warms evenly.
Oven: transfer frittata slices to an oven-safe baking dish then cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through (will depend on amount of servings left).