Let me paint you a picture. I am pretty sure you will recognize this picture, most of us have been there at one time or another. It’s 5:30 PM, everyone has just arrived home after a long day of…work, school, endless appointments, soccer practice, ballet or whatever, and “everyone” is hungry.
You go to the fridge, hoping by some miracle of miracles that something suitable for dinner has appeared, but not a dinner worthy item in sight. Or, maybe there is?
Last week, I was that person peering in the fridge. As I took a quick inventory, I saw eggs, milk, a stalk of broccoli, a leftover baked potato, and some cheddar cheese. My mind went into overdrive, thinking what can I make with these ingredients.
Although I hadn’t made one in forever, the first thing that popped into my mind was a frittata. A frittata is relatively quick to make and surprisingly filling.
I knew we had onions in the pantry and along with the fridge ingredients, this may just work.
The flexibility of the vegetables and cheese along with the quick fridge to table time makes a frittata a great choice when you are in a hurry.
Sauté onion and broccoli until softened (I used red onion, that’s what I had on hand).
I whisked the eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer because I was couldn’t summon the energy to whisk them by hand. But if you are feeling energetic, whisking by hand is perfectly fine.
Pour the egg, sour cream and cheese mixture over the vegetables.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese.
Cook the frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes. You can see in this photo that the edges are just starting to set and are slightly golden.
Bake until golden brown and the center is set and the frittata is puffy.
- 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 large, well washed, baked potato, cut into small cubes
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat to 350° F.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions and broccoli; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add chopped, cooked potato
- Meanwhile, whisk eggs and sour cream until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in ½ cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and if necessary, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.
- Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, shaking the pan to evenly distribute.
- Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese.
- Cook the frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheese over eggs and transfer skillet to oven.
- Bake frittata until golden brown and the center is set and the frittata is puffy. Approximately 25-30 minutes.
Have you ever made a frittata?
What is your “go-to” dinner when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry?
A variation of this have been a go-to quick meal for me…. and of course my family, for years. I love that you bake it in the oven for awhile which actually frees up even more time. I’ll tell you what I did….. you need to promise not to laugh….. in addition to the veggies and beaten eggs and milk/sour cream, I added a “handful” or two of rice krisp cereal before topping with the cheese. I let it cook in the skillet and gently ( and carefully) flipped it over for a minute or two before serving! It went over really well with the kids and hubby!
Oh wow, I bet the rice crisp cereal would add a great texture, will definitely try that next time! Thanks for the tip!