On those days when you just haven’t made it to the supermarket, turn to this endlessly customizable and Easy Weeknight Frittata recipe. If you’ve got eggs, you’ve got dinner.
We’ve all been there. Those days when you meant to hit to grocery…you really did. But then life got in the way. There was soccer practice, or a doctor’s appointment ran long or the kids begged to stay at the park for just a little longer and…suddenly its 6pm and you’re staring at a poorly stocked fridge. Before you reach for those take out menus, check your egg compartment. If you’ve got eggs, you can make frittata.
This super simple egg pie has long been one of my favorite easy meals. It tends to be a crowd pleaser even most kids love this dish. Its one of a handful of meals “grown up” meals that I know my two munchkins will eat without a battle. Despite being easy to make, frittata has a certain elegance about it that makes it perfect for serving to unexpected guests. Add a salad and a loaf of French bread (I hoard loaves in my freezer just for this purpose), and people feel like they’re eating something really special when you plunk this down on the table.
My family’s favorite Easy Weeknight Frittata includes potatoes, onions, bacon and green peas, but the basic recipe works with just about anything you can find in your crisper or freezer. Its a great way to clean out odds and ends: mushrooms and spinach is amazing; broccoli and Swiss with a few bits of leftover deli ham; maybe go Mexican with a can of black beans and some peppers (top it with a jar of salsa). The only true requirement is the eggs and you do need a lot of them. I tend to buy eggs a couple dozen at a time (they last a while). But with your eggs in hand and a little imagination, this is a meal that will leave you looking like a hero with very little effort (not to mention very few ingredients).
Easy Weeknight Frittata
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, or more to taste, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Whisk together eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer bacon to a towel lined with paper towels and pour off fat.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and add potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring a few times, until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes more.
- Gently add bacon and peas and remaining tablespoon oil into onion mixture, spreading it evenly.
- Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables and cook over medium-high heat, lifting up cooked egg around edges with a heat-proof rubber spatula to let uncooked egg flow underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until it appears mostly set, with a moist top and center, 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Broil frittata until the top is lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes (making sure it doesn’t burn).
- If using a nonstick skillet, slide the frittata onto a serving plate. If using a cast-iron skillet, cut and serve wedges directly from the skillet.
