It takes a lot for me to say something is incredibly delicious. I mean a lot. But this egg frittata recipe is just so damn good. Really, how can you go wrong with eggs, cheddar, bacon, sauteed broccoli and some butter? If you're looking for the perfect breakfast or brunch recipe, you've found it. Let's take a look at just how to put all these ingredients together for breakfast nirvana.
This insanely good egg frittata recipe is: Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly and Low Carb.
AN EGG FRITTATA LIKE NO OTHER.
In my house, it seems as if eggs evaporate right into thin air. We buy about 2 dozen eggs a week and they just disappear somehow. My kids love scrambled eggs. We use a ton of eggs in the crepes that I make for them every week too. Recently, however, I've been on a frittata bender which has been fun but the local chickens are running scared.
I think that my recent obsession with the frittata happened as the weather has been turning slightly cooler. It feels like it is time to warm up in the mornings with a slightly heartier breakfast. I've found myself making my ultimate cheesy grits without even thinking about it. It's weird how the weather impacts our daily lives right down to the meals we prepare.
Well, I've been on the hunt for the best egg frittata. I've broken a lot of eggs and made frittatas that have been good... but this one really stands out from the crowd. As always, the classic combination of bacon and cheddar work really well. But when you add in some of my spicy sauteed broccoli, it goes from good to great in no time flat. The flavor combination is just outstanding, particularly when some of the cheese crisps as it cooks in the butter... you just have to try this recipe.
THE FRITTATA PAN: WHAT YOU NEED
In order to make a proper frittata, you're going to need a good skillet. If you are currently cooking with a non-stick skillet with a plastic or other non "oven proof" material, well, it's going to be really hard to make this recipe. We are going to heat the pan over the stove to start the eggs cooking and then transfer it into a hot oven to finish off the process. In my opinion, plastic just doesn't belong in the oven. Even the "oven proof" plastics some companies are touting.
I've added two links in here from Amazon for pans that I use when I'm in Cleveland. Both of these pans are excellent for eggs and will stand the test of time. For this recipe, I am using a 8.5" non-stick induction skillet from IKEA. It's a great pan, but I prefer my cast iron or my non-stick pans from home. Here's what to look for in a good frittata pan:
- The pan needs to be oven proof. No plastics!
- You can use either a non-stick pan (like this one from Cuisinart) or a seasoned cast iron pan (like this one from Lodge). Both are inexpensive and will stand the test of time in the kitchen.
- Stainless steel pans can be used, but you need to be really careful otherwise your eggs will stick like glue to the bottom of the pan. I recommend either non-stick or seasoned cast iron.
- I prefer to use pans with a thicker base to retain the heat. When we add the eggs to the pan, it will rapidly cool off the surface as the heat exchanges. Thin pans will take longer to recover than pans with heavy bottoms and create "hot spots" where your eggs may burn.
- I've never been a fan of the ceramic coated pans. If you have one of these and it works well for you, go ahead and use it. The three I have bought work great for a couple weeks and then seem to just stop functioning correctly for me.
Ok. Now that we have the right pan picked out for the job, let's talk about how to make a frittata.
HOW TO MAKE A FRITTATA
Making a frittata is really not all that difficult. There are a couple steps that I need to cover so your frittata will slip right out of the pan with a perfectly crispy crust and wonderful fluffiness.
- Preheat your pan with about a tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, remove it from the heat. Swirl the butter around the bottom of the pan and carefully make sure that the sides of the pan are coated as well. Taking your time with this step is important for the frittata to have a nice brown crust.
- After you have coated the entire interior of the pan with butter (only butter... no need for any oil), place it back on the heat until the butter starts to bubble. Now it is time to add in the egg mixture.
- Once the egg mixture is added, leave it on the stove until you start seeing the eggs around the edges start to set. You'll see the butter start to bubble. Don't stir anything, just let it bubble for about 30 seconds before you move the egg frittata to the oven.
- After it is in the oven, check for doneness after about 12 minutes. Every oven works differently. You can check it easily by carefully shaking the pan. If it jiggles, it needs more time.
- When the eggs have set, go ahead and add some cheese or other toppings to the frittata and turn on the broiler. You'll get a nice crisp to the top that adds to the deliciousness.
- After the pan comes out of the oven, run a silicone spatula around the edge to release the frittata from the pan. It is best to do this while it is hot. When you tilt the pan to slide the frittata out, you can use the spatula to lift it just a little bit to land perfectly on the plate or cutting board. Voila! Time to eat.
So that's about it. You can use these steps for just about any type of frittata you want to make. Go wild with your culinary adventures!
QUICK FRITTATA COOKING TIPS: There are a couple tips when it comes to the ingredients... Here goes:
- Use the freshest eggs possible. We have been getting ours from a local farm and the difference in flavor is tremendous.
- Use good cheddar cheese. Low end cheddar is made with a lot of oil which will come out during the cooking process. You don't need the BEST cheddar, just decent cheese.
- Don't use too much cream. A little bit goes a long way. I've found that with too much cream the frittata takes on a much more dense consistency.
- Use real butter. It tastes delicious. Eggs love butter.
- Keep your egg-to-ingredient ratio in mind. Too much "stuff" in the frittata will sometimes make it fall apart. I've found that 4 eggs to 1.5 to 2 cups of goodies is a solid ratio.
- Make sure that any ingredients you are going to add to the frittata are already cooked. It's not going to be in the oven long enough to cook the bacon or broccoli. They need to be already cooked.
Ok. We've gone through a ton of stuff. Let's get to this yummy broccoli and egg frittata recipe!
The Perfect Egg Frittata
This delicious frittata has cheddar, bacon and spicy sauteed broccoli. These flavors combine exceptionally well with the eggs to give you a wonderfully hearty breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Broccoli, Sauteed
- ¼ Cup Bacon, Cooked and sliced
- ½ Cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
- ¼ Cup Cream
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, A couple pinches
- ⅛ teaspoon Pepper, A couple grinds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (not the butter) and mix well.
- Heat your oven-proof 8-9" skillet over medium high heat. Melt the butter and coat the entire interior of the pan.
- Add the egg mixture to the hot pan and continue to cook on the stove until the edges have set and the butter is bubbling around the edge. Place the frittata in the oven.
- Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Check for doneness by jiggling the pan.
- Once the eggs are cooked, add some cheese or other toppings. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and slide from the pan onto a plate or cutting board. Allow to cool a bit, then slice and serve. Happy eating!
Notes
Take a look at how to make the spicy sauteed broccoli.
If you don't want the spice, just make the broccoli without the red pepper flakes.
For a great method on how to reheat any frittata leftovers, see the end of this blog post!
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Amount Per Serving Calories 484
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS CHEESY DELICIOUS EGG FRITTATA RECIPE:
I want to take a minute to talk about leftovers... because I have had a lot while making so many frittatas. Without getting into a huge discussion about microwaves being used to heat things up (we haven't used a microwave in 5 years) let me tell you how to reheat in the exact pan you used to cook the frittata. It's easy. First, add in the leftover frittata. Next, add in about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and heat over medium-high for 5-6 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and cook for another minute until the bottom has crisped up again. It is such a better way to reheat food than using the microwave.
I've got two or three more frittata recipes coming up. One recipe has leeks, mushrooms and a delicious cheese many people probably haven't tried. I've previously posted my really wonderful Fajita Frittata recipe that you may want to check out as well. What are your favorite ingredients to add in with eggs? I hope you love this recipe and have a great day in the kitchen!
How do I enlarge the recipe to feed 4-6 people?
Hi Mary, to make the recipe for more people, you can double the ingredients. Then use a pan that is 2" larger to accommodate the extra ingredients. If you use any larger of a pan, you'll end up with an omelette, rather than a frittata. 🙂 Enjoy!
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It looks like you have one more recipe just like this on your blog- not sure if you knew or not. I chose to make this one and it was really good. I'm going to make it larger next time, so knowing how to make it for more people would be really helpful.
Hi Sage:
Yup, frittatas are my favorites and I'll probably share a few more similar recipes because they're so good.
Thank you for stopping by and have a great day in the kitchen!
Scott