Frittata Frittata

It's a fun word to say: frittata. Or to sing: frittaaaaata, frittaaaataaaaaaaaaa, friiiiiiittataaa-aaa--aaa--aah!

Oops. Sorry. Got a little carried away there.

Ahem, back to the frittata, which sounds very fancy and very Italian opera but is really just a baked omelet. Which is very appealing to me, because, well, my omelets always eventually turn into scrambled eggs. Leaving the omelet to bake safely on its own in the oven instead of trying to flip it at just the right moment on the stove-top results in a beautifully fluffy, round, easy-to-slice-and-serve, very elegant, very Italian (not really) frittata. Looks better. Sounds better. Tastes just as good. What more can you ask?

Not-an-Omelet Frittata
8 eggs
2 TBSP water
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 TBSP fresh cilantro (or 2 tsp dried)
1 TBSP fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Crack the eggs open into a medium bowl. Add water, and whisk or beat until well blended. Stir in the goat cheese, bacon and seasonings. Top with cheddar cheese and place in a greased pie pan. Cook at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden and puffy.

Of course, you can substitute whatever you have on hand or whatever you like for the cheeses, bacon and seasonings. Sausage or diced ham work very well instead of the bacon, and mozzarella is a delicious alternative to the goat and cheddar cheese.



Since it has to cook for 30 minutes, it's not as QUICK as an omelet or scrambled eggs, but it's still a pretty quick dinner.

Certainly EASY, that's for sure - no flipping required!

Eggs are always a great CHEAP main dish for dinner or breakfast. I can occasionally get a dozen eggs on sale for .99, and I can often get an 18ct package of eggs for $1.50. Either way, it's less than $1 for the eggs in this recipe, and not too much more for the bacon and cheese. I try not to pay more than $2 for a package of bacon, and 4 slices is a quarter or less of most packages, meaning about .50 for this recipe. I buy my cheese in 2 lb blocks at the warehouse for around $5, so I would estimate less than $1 for the portion used in this recipe. Add some toast and fresh fruit, and you have a well-balanced delicious and inexpensive meal.

It's very HEALTHY, too, notwithstanding the bacon and/or sausage. To be honest, what concerns me most about bacon is the nitrites and nitrates used to preserve it, so if you can get nitrate-free bacon, so much the better. Also, 3 slices of bacon is considered one serving, and since this recipe uses only 4 slices, each serving of frittata has only a partial serving of bacon in it. You probably already know that eggs are a great source of protein and healthy fat, but did you know they are also an excellent source of vitamin D? Experts say vitamin D deficiency is on the rise, so what are you waiting for? Get crackin'!