As an egg lover, for me, a frittata is a relatively-easy quick-to-make hunger-satisfying meal any time of the day -- for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or late night snack. It tastes great served hot, warm, at room temperature or cold, and, leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave. A bit of slicing, dicing or chopping is typically required, but it's minimal, and, since frittata can also be a tasty way to use up leftovers from a previous meal, in some instances, no knife is required. In my food world, making individual-sized frittatas, a perfectly-portioned quick-as-heck protein-packed meal or snack that I can reheat and eat in seconds, is an efficient use of my time.
My girlfriend Elaine was a Pampered Chef representative. Over the years, I've purchased gadgets and specialty items (from her and others), and, I've never been disappointed in the quality. A few years ago, while browsing through the catalog, when I came across these "individual brownie pans", with shallow, "square cups" (for folks who want four crispy sides on each and every brownie), I ordered two -- glad I did too.
That said, I didn't buy them with the intent of baking brownies. I bought them to make small-sized individual frittatas because: the size (2 1/2" x 2 1/2") and depth (1") of each cup makes for perfect portions that cook up evenly each and every time. If you've ever baked individual frittatas in traditional muffin tins, you know that the depth and shape of that cup is not exactly ideal for this eggy concoction -- centers undercooked, perimeters overcooked.
To know a traditional frittata, is to love any frittata.
Commonly referred to as "the Italian version of an omelette", a frittata is a concoction of whisked eggs and real-deal cream, sliced, diced or chopped always-previously-cooked vegetables, meat or seafood and/or grated cheese. I prefer to compare it to a custard-like quiche without a crust rather than an omelette because, like a quiche, a frittata is traditionally round and rather thick -- not at all elongated and comparatively flat (like the French and American omelettes I've encountered). There's more. I think of an omelette as something that goes from stovetop to table in a few short moments -- that's not the case with a frittata, which takes 30+ minutes.
The egg mixture is poured into the same oven-safe (usually cast-iron) skillet the vegetables and/or meats have been cooked or placed in. The Frittata is started on the stovetop for a few moments, just long enough to allow the bottom of the mixture to solidify a bit, then finished in a moderate oven for 30-45 minutes depending on its size and the recipe. That said, a frittata can be prepared in the skillet entirely on the stovetop, or, in a casserole entirely in the oven (usually to make a large-size frittata). Frittata can be served directly from the pan, but, family-friendly-sized frittata is often inverted onto a platter, to reveal its golden crust, then sliced into wedges.
Sautéed vegetables or a medley of vegetables, any kind you like, can be added, as long as they are cooked in some manner first. Why? Vegetables, particularly those that contain lots of liquid, unless cooked first, will render the frittata watery. Root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots, won't fully-cook if not given a head start on the stovetop. Onions and/or garlic are almost always added. Other options include asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, peas, and/or mushrooms. They all work great. Extremely watery vegetables, like tomatoes, summer squash and and zucchini work well too, but the extra step of seeding prior to sautéing is recommended.
When it comes to meat or seafood, the same rules apply: if it's cooked first it can be added. Leftover diced porcine, like ham or sausage crumbles, along with crispy-fried bacon bits are my three meaty favorites, and, crab meat or shrimp, or both, are divine. My teenage boys liked frittata made with diced salami or pepperoni as a late night snack. That said, if you like to eat steak with your eggs, by all means, throw in slivers of that leftover roasted or grilled red meat. Feel free to disagree, but, for my taste, poultry has no place in a frittata -- there is just something about chicken or turkey in an egg dish like this that I find unappealing (save it for a sandwich).
Making individual frittatas is efficient & just plain smart.
The Italian word "frittata" derives from the word "friggere", which roughly means "fried". This is why frittata is traditionally associated with a skillet, namely a cast-iron skillet. If a casserole dish is more convenient, by all means use one -- simply season and sauté your fillings ingredients in a skillet, and toss them into the bottom of a casserole that has been sprayed with no-stick spray, add the whisked egg and cream mixture and bake as directed. Making individual-sized frittatas is not much different than making a frittata in a casserole, but, you've got to know the capacity of the cups in the pans, and, shorten the cooking time, to accommodate the smaller size of each one. Each square cup in this Pampered Chef pan holds slightly less than 1/2 cup, so, to fill all twelve, I need 6 cups total filling -- the same amount used for a frittata baked in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
1 cup diced, previously cooked meat or seafood, or, 8-ounces uncooked ground beef or sausage (Note: I'm using sweet sausage today.)
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked vegetables or a combination of vegetables, your choice (Note: I'm using green bell pepper, red bell pepper and mushrooms today.)
sea salt and coarsely-ground black pepper, for lightly seasoning vegetables
3/4 cup grated melting cheese (Note: I'm using yellow cheddar today.)
6 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup cream (Note: You can substitute half and half or whole milk, but anything less than full-fat dairy renders a rubbery rather than an unctuous frittata.)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and coarsely-ground black pepper, for seasoning egg mixture
no-stick cooking spray, for preparing pan
sliced or diced tomato, cilantro leaves & your favorite hot sauce, for garnish & accompaniment
~ Step 1. Using an old-fashioned hand-crank egg beater, whisk the eggs, cream, salt and pepper together. Set aside.
~Step 2. Place the sausage in an appropriately sized skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté, using the side of a spatula to break the meat into small bits and pieces, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat off. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the sausage from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, allowing the flavorful drippings to remain in skillet.
~Step 3. Adjust heat to medium. Add onion, bell peppers and mushrooms. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Stirring almost constantly, sauté until vegetables have lost about half of their volume and are starting to show signs of browning (which means they are becoming flavorful), 5-6 minutes. Stir in the sausage. Remove from heat.
~Step 4. Spray the inside of each "square cup" with no-stick spray. Portion some of the vegetable/meat mixture into the bottom of each one, about 3 tablespoons in each. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated cheese over the top of the vegetable meat mixture. Using a fork, briefly rewhisk the egg mixture, and, slowly, in a thin stream, gently fill cups to just short of the top. Bake on center rack of 350° oven 16-18 minutes, until puffed up in centers. Remove from oven and cool in pans about 5 minutes prior to using a thin spatula to serve. Frittatas deflate and firm up as they cool. Garnish w/tomato, cilantro & your favorite hot sauce.
Bake on center rack of 350° oven, 16-18 minutes:
Cool in pans 5-6 minutes prior to serving:
Frittatas will deflate a bit & firm up as they cool:
Garnish w/tomato, cilantro & serve w/your favorite hot sauce:
Dare to be a Square: Individual Breakfast Frittatas: Recipe yields 6-12 servings/1-2 per person.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; hand-held box grater; 2-cup measuring container; old-fashioned hand-crank egg beater (optional); appropriately sized oven-safe skillet or casserole of choice; thin spatula
Cook's Note: In the event you need to feed a lot of people for breakfast or brunch, an eggy casserole is always a crowd pleaser. ~ My Big Baked Denver Omelette Brunch Casserole ~, which is in actuality a frittata disguised under a different name, is an example of a frittata baked in a casserole dish. It contains ham (in place of sausage) and has a distinctive Southwestern flair. It's been a favorite of our tailgate group for years.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)
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