When I was growing up my parents would serve us “breakfast for dinner” at least once a week, and we always loved it. It was so fun to get scrambled eggs, pancakes, and toast for dinner, and we thought that we were so lucky–our parents were so fun. What I understand now was that it was just an easy solution for dinner after a long or hectic day for my parents.
I try to cook dinner most nights for my family, but there are days there is nothing in the fridge, or I just don’t feel like cooking (yes, it even happens to a food blogger), and on those nights my daughter is more than happy for scrambled eggs and toast. But I wanted something more substantial and more interesting.
A whatever-the-f$ck-is-in-the-fridge frittata is a great way to make a satisfying dinner, use up your veggies and cheese, and make a fun dinner fit for the whole family.
I rarely make an appropriate amount of roast potatoes for Shabbat, so I typically have leftovers which are great to throw into a frittata to make it just a tad heartier, but you can also just serve them on the side like breakfast potatoes. No potatoes in the fridge? Just leave them out.
A warning: Flipping the frittata is a bit tricky, and I will share frankly that a nice portion of my frittata ended up on my stove when I flipped it. See photographic evidence.
If you have pans that are oven safe you don’t have to flip it at all, but instead just finish cooking it in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. This method takes significantly more time which can be the difference between whining children, or non-whining children, on a weeknight. I prefer non-whining children personally, so I say try flipping it, and if it doesn’t look perfect, who cares?! It will still taste great.
I would serve this frittata with some fresh fruit and maybe even these pancakes made with part whole wheat flour, flax seed, and Greek yogurt. Your kids will think you are the coolest, but you will know it’s just because you didn’t feel like cooking anything else tonight.
Whatever-is-in-the-fridge frittata
Ingredients:
½ onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
6 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup crumbled goat cheese, feta or shredded cheddar (or whatever other cheese you have)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 -3 cups fresh spinach (or broccoli, mushrooms or peppers)
1 cup leftover roasted potatoes
Fresh parsley (optional)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add spinach (or other veggies) and cook until wilted. Add potatoes and combine until heated through.
3. Add egg mixture and swirl around until the entire pan is covered. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. Using a silicone spatula VERY QUICKLY flip frittata onto the other side. If some of it falls apart, don’t worry–just smooth it back into place and cook another 3-4 minutes on second side until cooked through and starting to turn golden brown.
6. Place a large platter on top of the pan and turn the plate and pan over quickly to remove frittata from the pan. (This step is similar to how you might remove a Bundt cake from its pan.)
7. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Cut into slices and serve warm or room temperature.
