Bacon Mushroom Scallion & Mozzarella Frittata

I think I do some of my best cooking when I don’t think too much about it. I hosted a brunch this weekend after just moving into a new house and recovering from a nasty cold, which left me minimal energy to put into planning the brunch menu. I went to the store the day before and winged it, throwing ingredients that caught my eye into my basket with no formal plan as to how I would use them. The day of the brunch, I rummaged in my fridge and pulled together the single most delicious breakfast frittata I for one have ever eaten.

A frittata is an Italian open-faced omelette that you start on the stove and finish in the oven. Instead of flipping it to cook the second side you put it under the broiler (or you could just bake it). This is genius on many counts. One, it becomes ridiculously easy to feed eggs to a crowd. An omelette serves one, maybe two cut in half (which would be unconventional) but a frittata is cut into wedges and can serve 8-10. Two, it’s nearly foolproof to cook. No more flipping and folding your omelette onto the floor a la Julia Child! Just cook over low heat until the bottom is set but the top is still runny, and place under the broiler for 2, maybe 3 minutes to just brown and set the top.

Of course you can choose whichever mix-ins you want. For company, I like to have at least one vegetable (i.e. mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, greens), one meat (i.e bacon, sausage, pancetta or proscuitto) and one cheese (i.e. feta, mozzarella, cheddar, goat). But the possibilities are endless. Feel free to use up leftover pasta, leftover shredded chicken or cooked chop meat from the night before. Like soup, making a frittata on the weekend will help ensure those tidbits of last week’s groceries don’t go to waste.

You want to have anything you’re adding into the frittata that needs to be cooked pre-cooked beforehand. For example, you wouldn’t add raw mushrooms you’d first saute and brown them, let them come back to room temperature, then add to the frittata. You want mix-in’s at room temperature because if they were piping hot they could scramble your eggs when you added them and melt the cheese (if using).

Give making one a try and perhaps you’ll be off omelettes for good!

bacon mushroom scallion & mozzarella frittata

• 1lb bacon, diced and crisped
• 1 bunch scallions, diced
• 8 oz button mushrooms, rinsed, dried, diced and browned in olive oil in medium skillet, seasoned with salt/pepper
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
• 12 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Cool bacon and mushrooms to room temperature. Combine bacon, mushrooms, scallions and mozzarella in medium bowl. Set aside and preheat broiler to high.

2. Pour eggs into large non-stick skillet, preferably cast-iron and set over medium-high heat. Stir once and cook until bottom begins to set, about 3-4 minutes. Add bacon, mushrooms, scallions and mozzarella, scattering ingredients evenly around frittata. Continue to cook, running a spatula around the edges, until bottom is set but top is still runny.

3. Move frittata until broiler and broil until top just begins to brown, about 2-3 minutes (checking every minute so as not to overly-brown).

4. Remove from oven and run spatula around edges and underneath to loosen. Slide onto a large flat plate and serve. (Alternatively invert onto large flat plate and invert again).

Serves 8