A frittata is your friend in the sneaky kitchen. Much like quiche, it functions as a Trojan Horse for all kinds of veggies. I had a lot of fresh produce and needed to find a way to get it into my children without complaints. Everybody in my family loves eggs, so this was a no brainer.

Only problem was I had never made a frittata. So I did what I always do; I looked up a bunch of similar recipes to get the jist of what goes into one and adjusted in my head for  pan size, pantry availability, taste and nutrition. I wanted to serve a crowd (the twinkies will eat 5-6  scrambled eggs just the 2 of them); I already had cooked down greens and chicken and a bunch of farm-fresh vegetables; I made a spice combination that never fails in my family; and I knew the cheese would need to be reduced as well as the whole eggs and cream because breakfast items benefit from bacon.

I had a plan.

And.. I was lucky! It turned out fabulous. Throw in whatever you like or have lying around and enjoy this hearty meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Thanks to my husband’s knife skills it didn’t take long to throw together and only took about 20 minutes to cook. Here it is before we demolished it:

NUTS and BOLTS

Filling

• 1 cup Shredded Zucchini
• 1 cup Red Bell Pepper, Finely Diced
• 1 cup Mushrooms, Finely Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Scallions, Finely Sliced
• 1 cup Cooked Chicken Breast, Finely Diced
• 1 cup Cooked Greens (we used beet greens), Chopped

Eggs

• 1.25 cups Egg White or Egg Substitute
• 5 Whole Eggs
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• Dash Cayenne Pepper

Topping

• 3/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 4 slices Bacon, Cooked Crisp and Crumbled

WHAT TO DO WITH IT ALL

First and foremost, prep all your vegetables; cook and crumble your bacon (we have precooked in our freezer that we broil up in the toaster oven for speeds sake); measure out and set aside your cheese; and whisk together your eggs and spices in a separate bowl. Despite the long ingredients list, this dish is straight forward and really comes together fast in the pan. It is best to be prepared.

Spray your deep, oven-safe, 12 inch skillet or everyday pan with cooking oil and place it over medium heat. You can start out by sauteing your garlic, zucchini, red pepper and green onions until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Then, add your mushrooms and cook until tender. Finally, stir in your precooked greens and chicken and heat through.

Give your egg/spice mixture a quick whisk to catch any spices that fell to the bottom and pour it over everything in the pan. Stir immediately to ensure the egg surrounds your filling ingredients completely. Now you can sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles evenly across the top of the surface.

Turn your heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the eggs begin to solidify and the bubbles break on the surface.

Remove the lid and go ahead and transfer your pan to the oven. Broil until browned lightly – about 3-5 minutes. Don’t walk away… that cheese can go from golden yumminess to burnt in an instant. Once golden browned and sizzling, remove your pan from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Let me tell you, the smell alone will bring them running to the kitchen.

Slice your frittata and serve with confidence and maybe a touch of bravado – for you have made a fancy looking dish that will impress with style and flavor and nourish both the soul and the body.

MONKEY METER

The twinkies eyed it suspiciously until I told them it was like quiche. They remember my Quiche in a Basket and dug in immediately. They really enjoyed this too. 4.5 of 5

The eldest couldn’t wait to get to the table and dug in at the counter. Big Hit! 5 of 5

My husband and I enjoyed it immensely. We will be making more fritattas for sure!
5 of 5