Marci Loves Eggs – Mushroom, Onion, and Broccoli Frittata

My wife Marci loves eggs. She always has. She talks about eating a soft boiled egg every morning when she was young. When she was pregnant with our son, she couldn’t get enough eggs. One wonders if that played a role in why he is so fond of them. Nonetheless, she still eats a ton of eggs to this day. Quickly fried with a runny yolk on a sliver of toast for lunch if she’s working from home. Hard boiled if she’s traveling and needs breakfast on the go. (Our kids tease her about the smell and its impact on fellow commuters.) Scrambled with sautéed kale or spinach and cherry tomatoes if they are available in the garden or refrigerator. And she would probably eat eggs for dinner at least once a week if I wasn’t around to cook for her.

Sometimes on weekends she wants to change it up and she asks me to make a frittata. I am usually happy to oblige. Similar to a quiche, although crustless, with less dairy, and cooked entirely in a skillet, a frittata is stuffed with vegetables, cheese, and possibly meats. It is a great way to add an additional serving of plant life to the morning meal, and served with a small salad, a frittata makes a lovely lunch or dinner affair, possibly vegetarian, and not at all difficult to prepare.

This recipe is for mushroom, onion, and broccoli frittata, but the ingredients can vary depending on what you have on hand. You could use spinach, kale, zucchini, asparagus, or red peppers in place of the broccoli and mushrooms, or add them all to make a vegetable medley. Already cooked slices of potato would make it hardier. Include a meat if that’s your preference – pieces of bacon, chunks of ham, or crumbles of sausage. You can use almost any cheese that will melt into the other fillings. I would suggest cheddar, Monterey jack, gruyere, or another variety of Swiss. A frittata also offers the perfect opportunity to use leftover vegetables in the refrigerator, or those that might otherwise go to waste because there is not enough to make into a stand-alone dish.

No matter what you use, a frittata is the perfect place to experiment with ingredients and new combinations. It’s sure to be delicious and filling, and a frittata is a great breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning when you’re sitting around reading the morning paper, with nothing better to do.

Mushroom, Onion, and Broccoli Frittata

The skillet in which you cook a frittata can make all the difference in the world in whether or not it emerges neatly from the pan. You will be much more successful with a well-seasoned skillet, one to which the eggs will not stick. I use an 8-inch cast iron skillet, for which this recipe is developed, and it is perfect for two to four people, depending on side servings. If your skillet is a different size, you will need to adjust the quantity of ingredients accordingly. Since the whole skillet will be placed in a hot oven, it is essential you use a skillet that can withstand the heat (i.e., no plastic or rubber handle, or other parts that can melt).

serves 2 – 4, one hour

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 large onion, chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

⅓ lb. broccoli, cut into ¾–inch pieces

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

5 large eggs

3 Tbsp. half and half or cream

4 oz. cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, gruyere or other variety of Swiss), shredded

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 ^o
2. Melt 1½ tablespoons of butter in a well-seasoned, 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, and cut broccoli, and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft and the water from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, crack the eggs and beat them with the half and half or cream in a bowl. When beaten, add the grated cheese and stir to mix.
4. When the vegetables are done, rub the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter around the walls of the skillet to melt it. This will help prevent the frittata from sticking to the sides of the skillet.
5. Pour the egg, half and half, and cheese mixture over the vegetables in the skillet. Without stirring, allow the frittata to cook on top of the stove over a medium to medium-low heat. After about 5 minutes, place the slices of tomato carefully on the top of the frittata so they don’t sink in. Cook until the edges are starting to set, about 10 minutes. Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the frittata to make sure it is not sticking to the skillet.
6. Using a potholder, put the skillet into the pre-heated oven and cook until done, about a half hour. The frittata should be lightly browned, and when shaken should not jiggle at all.
7. Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the frittata to set in the skillet for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

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