Eggs are easily one of the most reliable go-tos at my house. We always have them, they're not expensive, they cook fast, and we can easily come up with something to mix in with them for a hearty, yummy dish! Thus, my undying love for the frittata.
The first time I made a frittata (by the way, I have to google every time to see if it's two t's first or second) I needed breakfast for some surprise company; and I went to my crisper drawer and my pantry to figure out what I could pull together! And ta-da! It was delicious! Listen, if you add cheese and salt to eggs plus a few more add-ins, then you're sure to have something delicious!
And don't let the word frittata scare you. It sounds so fancy - like it'd be hard to make - but y'all, I'm telling you, it's a breeze!
What separates a frittata from a quiche is the crust. By removing the crust, a frittata cooks really quickly! A crust adds a wholelotta of work and bake time. AND this little number can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in about 20 minutes! How many more reasons could there be to love frittata?! Hip hip hooray!
With that said, when At Home in Arkansas magazine asked me to put together a brunch menu for their September issue, I knew frittata would make the list for all of the reasons I just said! I loaded this particular frittata with some of my absolute favorites - earthy sauteed mushrooms, sweet tender onions, fresh wilted spinach, and salty bacon because (altogether now) "Bacon makes everything better." With a heapin' load of shaved parmesan cheese melted in, this frittata is a sure-thang! And let's be clear, this recipe feeds an army. If you need to feed fewer, then just adjust accordingly.
Here's to eggs and ease and company (and bacon!)
SPINACH MUSHROOM FRITTATA WITH BACON
{makes one 12-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe, nonstick skillet}
12 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 slices of bacon
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 small carton of fresh sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
Approximately 8 cups of fresh spinach, rough chopped
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Crack eggs into a large bowl, and whisk in milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk them well for a minute til well combined and fluffy. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400.
Cut bacon into pieces and saute over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel-lined tray. Discard the bacon grease.
Swirl a little oil in the bottom and up the sides of the pan then add the onions and mushrooms, season with more salt and pepper, and saute until they are tender and have good color. Pile half of the spinach into the skillet and stir, allowing to wilt enough to add the other half of the spinach. Stir until wilted and mixed in with the onions and mushrooms. Taste for seasoning. Stir in crispy bacon pieces and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Spread the filling around the pan to cover the bottom of the pan without packing it down. The filling should still be lose. Sprinkle with 1 cup of parmesan all over the filling.
Pour eggs into the skillet and rotate pan to make sure the eggs cover all of the filling. Allow to cook over medium heat on the stovetop for about 3 minutes or until the sides of the eggs just begin to set. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until tanned on top, not brown. The eggs should be custard-like, not firm, with a little bit of jiggle to them. If you insert a knife right into the center, look just inside the slit and see if egg liquid runs into the slit. If so, then bake a little bit longer.
Remove and garnish with more parmesan, a few reserved bacon pieces, chopped red grape tomatoes, and parslay.
If your skillet is non-stick, then you may loose the frittata from the pan and slide it out onto a plate. Or you may cut and serve wedges right out of the pan.
BONUS RECIPE FOR APPLE BROWN BETTY ON THE AT HOME IN ARKANSAS BLOG
