Easy instructions for how to make a frittata with any veggies you have on hand!
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A short cut for busy mommas!
Fake out. Short cut. Whatever you wanna call it, frittatas are the busy momma’s breakfast bake fake out! We adore breakfast bakes (in fact, there is the most drool worthy breakfast bake in my cookbook Nourished Beginnings that all of my little ones love!).
But let’s face it…breakfasts bakes are best savedfor special weekend brunches when you have a little extra time to fuss a bit, right?!
Fritattas look and feel fancy and fussy like a breakfast bake, but I can get you in and out of the kitchen in 15 minutes flat!
In fact, these easy frittatas are so fast, that they are frequently on my breakfast rotation on school mornings. You can even do the veggie chopping the night before to shave off another 5 minutes of that time. My kids like to eat frittatas with a side of fresh fruit, or a banana muffin from the freezer, and a glass of raw milk. Little dishes of yogurt work well too. I like to eat mine with a bowl of leftover vegetable soup.
Weekday breakfast fast!
I promise you just about anyone can do this. I was petrified of my cast iron skillet until I really gave it a chance a number of years ago. And a frittata? Well, let’s just say it looked fancy, so I wasn’t so sure I could really pull it off!
As it turns out, frittatas are really nothing more than a few handfuls of cooked veggies baked into eggs. Truly whatever veggies you have on hand should work, so it is an evergreen breakfast that can change flavors with the seasons.
Frittatas 101…
A frittata begins with some aromatics (ie onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc) and the “harder” veggies that need extra time to get soft (ie potatoes, carrots, etc) cooked down to soften in some butter. You can throw in the more fragile vegetables that don’t need more than a minute of cook time right in after that (ie spinach, tomatoes, etc). Pour over your whisked eggs and herbs and then watch the magic happen!
I like to cook my frittata half on the stovetop, until the edges of the egg are set, and then finish it off on the middle rack of the oven, under the broiler. It really takes the guess work out of whether the middle of the egg is done, and it also gives a beautiful golden top to the frittata.
A note on skillets
You will need an oven safe skillet for making a frittata. I have this Lodge cast iron skillet, that was once my mom’s – they really last forever. They are quite inexpensive, and make a great investment since they actually flavor your food better with age!
If you season it just right, they actually have a better non stick surface than any skillet or pan you own! You can check out this tutorial for seasoning your cast iron – it is worth having it done right because my frittatas literally slide right out of the pan because my pan is so slick!
Oven Safe Skillet Options:
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
- Cuisinart Stainless Steel Oven Safe Skillet
- Zelancio Oven Safe Enamal Cast Iron Skillet
{Side note! The handle of these oven safe skillets get very hot! Don’t burn your hand! I wrap a thin kitchen towel around the handle of mine. I did find these really neat cast iron skillet “mitts”that slide right over the handle though!}
Favorite veggie and herb combos
I decided to break up 4 different frittata recipes for you to see how you can veggie combo, but you truly can use whatever you have on hand! Think of these recipes as mix and match – make them how you wish. In the spring and summer, fresh herbs are available more readily where I live, so I used fresh herbs for those. Dried herbs work just as well – use what your family enjoys!
A note about meat and cheese
If you plan to add some bacon or sausage to your frittata, cook the meat first before getting the veggies in. You can add the meat back into the skillet when you add the eggs. Cheese is also fun to add to a frittata, and you can do that by whisking it in with the eggs.
So here is some inspiration for you!
And it is exactly that – inspiration! I can’t wait to hear about the creations you come up with! Keep me posted!
Ingredients:
- 2-3 TB friendly fat to cook in such as butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard, or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small/medium yellow potato (or 1/2 russet), diced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 handfuls of chopped kale
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
- Set the broiler to high in your oven with the rack in the middle.
- At the stovetop, melt the butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushroom, potato, and sea salt and cook over medium/medium-high heat until the veggies are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and kale and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs, oregano, and pepper and then pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies in the skillet. You can move the veggies around so everything is evenly distributed.
- Keep the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the edges look set. Move the skillet to the oven on the middle rack under the broiler on high heat, and cook another 3-4 minutes until the rest of the frittata sets, and the top is slightly golden.
- Let the frittata cool in the skillet about 3-4 minutes before serving. You should be able to slide your spatula right underneath the frittata to slide it onto a cutting board for serving if you wish. (See above for tips on seasoning your cast iron skillet so it is super slick!)
Directions:
- 2-3 TB friendly fat to cook in such as butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard, or avocado oil
- 1/2 leek, sliced and rinsed of sand
- 4 radishes, sliced or cubed depending on your preference
- 1/2 – 1 cup chopped asparagus
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh raw cheese (optional, if available)
- 3 TB chopped chives
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
- Set the broiler to high in your oven with the rack in the middle.
- At the stovetop, melt the butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, radishes, asparagus, and sea salt and cook over medium/medium-high heat until the veggies are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
- Whisk the eggs, cheese (if using it), chives, and pepper, and then pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies in the skillet. You can move the veggies around so everything is evenly distributed.
- Keep the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the edges look set. Move the skillet to the oven on the middle rack under the broiler on high heat, and cook another 3-4 minutes until the rest of the frittata sets, and the top is slightly golden.
- Let the frittata cool in the skillet about 3-4 minutes before serving. You should be able to slide your spatula right underneath the frittata to slide it onto a cutting board for serving if you wish. (See above for tips on seasoning your cast iron skillet so it is super slick!)
Ingredients:
- 2-3 TB friendly fat to cook in such as butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard, or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/4 medium green pepper
- 1/4 medium yellow or orange pepper
- 1/2 – 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 eggs
- 3 TB chopped fresh basil, dill, or parsley
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Set the broiler to high in your oven with the rack in the middle.
- At the stovetop, melt the butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, broccoli, and sea salt and cook over medium/medium-high heat until the veggies are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs, basil, and pepper and then pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies in the skillet. You can move the veggies around so everything is evenly distributed.
- Keep the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the edges look set. Move the skillet to the oven on the middle rack under the broiler on high heat, and cook another 3-4 minutes until the rest of the frittata sets, and the top is slightly golden.
- Let the frittata cool in the skillet about 3-4 minutes before serving. You should be able to slide your spatula right underneath the frittata to slide it onto a cutting board for serving if you wish. (See above for tips on seasoning your cast iron skillet so it is super slick!)
- 1 TB friendly fat to cook in such as butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard, or avocado oil
- 3-4 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1/4 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 handfuls baby spinach
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Set the broiler to high in your oven with the rack in the middle.
- At the stovetop, melt the butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat, and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving the bacon grease behind to cook in.
- Add the onion, sweet potato, and sea salt to the bacon grease, and cook over medium/medium-high heat until the veggies are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes to slightly wilt the spinach. Add the cooked bacon back in.
- Whisk the eggs, parsley, and pepper and then pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies and bacon in the skillet. You can move the veggies and bacon around so everything is evenly distributed.
- Keep the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the edges look set. Move the skillet to the oven on the middle rack under the broiler on high heat, and cook another 3-4 minutes until the rest of the frittata sets, and the top is slightly golden.
- Let the frittata cool in the skillet about 3-4 minutes before serving. You should be able to slide your spatula right underneath the frittata to slide it onto a cutting board for serving if you wish. (See above for tips on seasoning your cast iron skillet so it is super slick!)
More real food breakfast ideas you might like!
- Protein Packed Banana Muffins
- Lemon Breakfast Cookies
- Green Smoothies For Kids
- Apple Cinnamon Granola