Frittata
Updated: Nov 19, 2020
This past weekend we took a trip down to Springfield to visit family. We had fun hiking, cave exploring and spending time with everyone and we returned home late Sunday afternoon worn out. So, when we finally got the car unpacked and the laundry in the washing machine, I looked at the clock and realized we needed dinner in a hurry. So, I made a frittata.
I often get asked what I do if I need to make dinner quick and easy. Since I typically avoid meals that are time intensive and require lots of ingredients, the frittata has been my easy dinner solution for a while.
When I first made the switch to a real food diet, I had a list of blogs that I followed for information and recipes. The Paleo Mom (Sara Ballantyne) was on that list and I went to her site one night looking for something new and easy to try; emphasis on the easy. She’d done a post about a frittata that she often makes for her family and the pictures looked good, but what really caught my eye was the 10 minutes it took to cook this meal! I put it in my meal plan rotation, we loved it and it’s been there ever since. Other than the speed at which this can be made, I also like making this frittata because it’s extremely versatile. I rarely make the same frittata twice and I use whatever I have on hand to put into it.
The point is you can do just about anything with this recipe to make it just right for you. I’m going to share my “guide” with you in hopes that it might become a trusted, quick recipe you can use whenever you need dinner fast!
The Frittata Guide:
Ingredients:
½ - 1 pound protein of choice (ground pork, beef, sausage, bacon)*
8-10 eggs* (I use more or less depending on the amount of protein I have on hand)
1 cup finely chopped greens
1 cup other veggies (onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, squash)
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons of herbs (garlic, cilantro, parsley, basil, oregano)*
Directions:
Set your oven to broil.
Place a cast iron skillet on the stove top and set the burner to medium heat.
Crumble your protein of choice into the skillet and let it brown while you chop your veggies.
Give the meat a stir or two while it browns and when the meat is no longer pink, add your veggies.
Allow the veggies to soften while you finely chop your greens.
Add the greens to the skillet and allow them to steam and wilt while you crack your eggs into a medium sized bowl and add herbs, whisking together.
Once the meat, veggies, and greens are all cooked, pour your egg and herb mixture over the meat and veggies.
You may need to use your spoon to guide the eggs to cover the whole skillet. DO NOT STIR!
Allow the eggs to cook on the stove-top for about 2-3 minutes.
Once it looks like the eggs are starting to cook, transfer the pan to the oven and let it broil for about 8 minutes. I usually set my timer to 5 minutes and check it frequently after that.
Your frittata is ready when the top has a nice golden color on top.
Notes:
*Make sure the protein that you choose is quality (meaning humanely raised, without hormones and antibiotics). This is also optional; I don't always add a lean meat to ours, depending on what the day's meals have been.
*Nutrient dense eggs are labeled both organic and pasture raised, meaning free foraging and not fed corn or soy.
*I don’t measure my herbs and I use a combination of the ones I listed; I use less if dried and more if fresh. You do you!