Frittata

            To say that this “recipe” is an Erbe family staple is like saying that our dishwasher is a family heirloom. I hesitate to even call this a recipe more so than it is a mixture made up of two ingredients thrown predictably into a set oven temperature. It calls into question why even disseminate or take up space with such simplicity? We love simplicity but no one is looking for a recipe for our iced coffee with a splash of cream. We pass on this recipe because I say without any hyperbole that this humble combination is the most used in the Erbe household. This recipe has become almost ubiquitous and we endlessly find new occasions to shoehorn it into. Christmas morning? Bruch with friends? Lunch? Dinner? This Frittata has made countless appearances on the tables of all these events because two things are guaranteed, the pie pan ends up empty and we get asked for the recipe.

            The secret here is that this recipe is one of the most flexible we have ever experienced. It accommodating to any manner of availability, passivity, and frankly laziness. To elucidate, the base recipe is 7 whole eggs and 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt. That’s it. Whisk together and you have your base. This is where the recipe will start to give you some grace. Only have 6 eggs? It will work fine. Need to get rid of 8 old eggs? No problem. Have only ¼ cup of Greek yogurt? Still works. I at this point eyeball the Greek yogurt addition because getting out a cup measure seems to offend the ease of the whole endeavor. I always add pepper but I don’t even add salt because the filling typically takes care of this for me. This is also the time to add any herbs or additional seasonings you would like. We added green onion but anything from basil to Cajun seasoning works great.

Once your base is done you can set to picking out fillings. We have done countless variations from Italian sausage, shallot, and mozzarella to leftover vegetables we found in the fridge. Our combinations are as varied as the occasions and what we have available. This is the perfect recipe to get rid of all of the leftovers such as bits of meat, steamed vegetables, last piece of brie from the cheese board on Saturday. All perfect in this application. I typically steam or boil my vegetables before putting into the mix but the frittata will still work fine if you put them in raw. They are just more al dente when the whole thing is done. Take whatever filling you have and fill up the pie pan as much as you want. We love the fillings and typically have the entire pie pan full. Pour over your mix and bake.

Despite the countless variations possible with this frittata the bake time/temperature seems pretty stable. I have baked this is multiple ovens in different pans, with different amounts and still seem to pull it out at the exact same time. The bake is simply 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Part of the universality of this dish is that it is just as delicious room temperature as it is hot. It lasts extremely well in the refrigerator and is easily reheated in a microwave at work for lunch. We cannot speak enough about how satisfying, simple, and beautiful this frittata is. Try and find your favorite combination and we know it will be a staple in your household too.

Ingredients

Basic Mix

7 Large Eggs

1/3 Cup Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt

Pepper to taste

Mix-Ins

2 Tbsp. Green Onion

¼ lb. Broccolini

¼ Asparagus

1 Cup Gruyere shredded or cubed

1 Cup Ham cut into cubes

* See note below

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While your oven is preheating, prepare your standard 9 in pie pan (really any pan will work, glass or ceramic seems to work best) by spraying liberally with nonstick spray. We use coconut oil spray for ours.

2.      In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, Greek yogurt, and pepper to taste. Wisk well so that the Greek yogurt is well incorporated. Some leftover bits are ok. Add your sliced green onion. Set aside while you prepare your fillings.

3.      Blanche your vegetables in salted boiling water until just done 1-2 minutes depending on size. For this frittata we left the broccolini and asparagus whole to arrange on top. For everyday use you can cut your vegetables into bite size pieces. Once balanced, run under cool water or put into an ice bath to stop cooking. If you are using something like frozen peas, just defrost or run under cool water prior to putting into the pan. Vegetables like shallots can be added in raw.

4.      Layer your cheese, ham, and vegetables into your prepared pan. Pour over your egg mixture. Press down if you need to. It may be that your egg mixture doesn’t cover your fillings. This is ok. The egg mixture will puff up substantially in the oven. As long as your fillings fit in the pie pan you should be ok. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. It should be slightly browned on the sides and on the top. The middle should be firm to the touch. Be careful if you add cheese that it might seem under done. It will set up more once slightly cool. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving hot or eat at room temperature. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. Reheat as needed.

*Any combinations of fillings should work. The amount can vary with the size of your pan and what you have available. A good general rule of thumb is the fillings should fit nicely into your pie pan but we will frequently have broccoli spilling over the top of the pan that we want to shove in. We only caution against things that are too watery like raw tomatoes. This may disrupt the mixture. We also suggest making sure any meats you add are fully cooked. So you can add something like breakfast sausage links but they should be cooked prior to adding to the filling. Other fillings we have used in the past in all combinations include: all manner of sausage, dried meats such as salami, all manner of cheeses, peas, broccoli, roasted Brussel spouts, sun dried tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, salsa, quinoa, all manner of beans, potatoes (par boiled), etc.