I don’t know what your schedule is like, but mine definitely needs a lot more room for free time. Even those days when I am particularly virtuous and get up at five to exercise seem like they don’t have enough hours. By the time I get home from work at night, there aren’t many hours until I’m supposed to hit the sack.
One trick I’ve mastered is making fast meals. As I’ve mentioned before, so often, going out to eat feels like a huge burden — if it’s a new place, I have to determine which menu items fit into my gluten-free diet; if it’s a familiar place, the foods I can eat lead to a repetitive (and sometimes boring) dining experience. Cooking at home lets me explore the variety of foods I love.
But, like I said, it’s gotta be fast. It’s gotta be easy. It’s gotta be delicious. And if it’s a recipe that delivers leftovers as well, then bonus points all around!
I’ve discussed frittatas in the context of great travel foods. A wedge of eggs, cheese, and meat is perfect for satisfying hunger when gluten-free options are few and far in between. Frittatas are also an awesome weeknight meal. They’re fast, healthy, and, of course, extremely versatile. Once you’ve got the basic recipe down, you can customize it any way you want!
And speaking of customizing, here are some ideas to jumpstart your creativity (as I find more interesting frittata ideas, I’m adding them to this post!):
- Asparagus and Feta: Slice the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and saute with some green onion. Add feta cheese.
- Broccoli and Pancetta: I love this frittata when I have leftover broccoli (if don’t, just steam the florets in the microwave for a minute or so, until crisp-tender). Stir fry a couple of ounces of chopped pancetta, add some onion, toss in the broccoli. Mix an ounce or two shredded parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.
- Greens with Caramelized Onions and Olives: This is a perfect frittata for using up leftover greens (kale, chard, even collards). Saute the greens with a bit of water until wilted and tender. Mix chopped black or green olives into the egg mixture along with a cup or less of shredded parmesan.
- Mushrooms, Leeks, and Cheese: Saute 8 ounces of mushrooms and some sliced leeks. Add eggs. Top with a melty cheese like fontina. This is also a great brunch option if you’re serving vegetarians.
- Potato, Spinach, and Red Pepper: Sliced parboiled potatoes, spinach, and sauteed peppers. Here’s the full recipe.
- Sausage and Kale: Brown some sausage, wilt the chopped kale, add a bit of red bell pepper for color contrast. Here, I like to use feta cheese, but goat cheese works equally well.
- Smoked Salmon Frittata: Slice red onion, chop some fresh dill, maybe a little green onion. Add a few ounces of smoked salmon to the egg batter. Top with creamed cheese — get the kind that’s in a block and cut into cubes for even distribution over the frittata.
- Spinach, Ham, and Gruyere: I love me some spinach! Diced ham (or prosciutto if you’re feeling spendy) and melty Gruyere combine with the chopped spinach for a satisfying meal.
- Tomato, Basil, and Goat Cheese: Slice some grape tomatoes and saute before adding egg mixture. Or slice a few firm plum tomatoes and layer them on the eggs. Top with cheese and shredded basil.
If you have a great frittata recipes, please share below!
Tip of the Week
One key to a delicious frittata is lots of flavor throughout the dish. In addition to seasoning the egg mixture, make sure the sauteed meats and veggies have TONS of flavor.
Menu of the Week
I have some broccoli that is on the edge of going bad, so it’s perfect for a frittata. I’ll also toss in a bit of bacon since my husband believes it’s one of the major food groups. Since I also have a lot of green onions in the fridge, they’ll be added to the mix as well.
- Broccoli and Goat Cheese Frittata
- Fresh Fruit Salad