Cheesy Potato and Vegetable Frittata

Eating more fresh produce has been a goal of mine since I started this blog. Before that, the few times a week when we weren’t eating at a restaurant or ordering take-out, most of the dinners I made came from boxes and the only produce I bought at the grocery store was maybe a few bananas, apples or potatoes. Heck, I can’t even say I bought potatoes all that often because Brandon still teases me about all the boxed mashed potatoes I used to prepare with pretty much every dinner back then.

I feel like I’ve come really far from those days whenever I look at my shopping cart and see that fresh fruit and vegetables take up the most space. And now I’ve finally committed to something that I’ve been interested in for years: I joined a CSA. I was always worried that we would never be able to eat enough of the produce every week and honestly, there was some extreme laziness involved when I thought about having to go and pick up the share every week. So when Brandon informed me that enough people at his office had signed up that they would be delivering the shares there every week, that was enough to finally push me to join.

Luckily, they offer different sized shares for different size families and we were able to sign for a share that is specifically for two-person households. So far I’ve found the amount of produce we get to be mostly reasonable, but it’s definitely been forcing my vegetable consumption even higher which can only be a good thing. In the past few weeks I’ve tried vegetables that I’ve never tried before like kohlrabi, beets and zucchini. My weekly meal planning has been both more fun and more challenging as I try to find recipes with the produce I receive every week.

This recipe came out of the fact that it was the end of the week and I wanted to use up a bunch of vegetables we still had, like tomatoes, kale and broccoli. I’m also receiving half a dozen eggs each week, so I have to eat them regularly so they don’t pile up. A frittata is like a cross between a omelet and a pie and it’s a great way to incorporate more vegetables in your diet while still feeling that you’re eating something really substantial and delicious. I’ve made it a few times now and the great thing about this recipe is how flexible it is. You could basically call this a “clean out your fridge” frittata because it can be filled with any number of things. Here’s my formula: onions + potatoes + tomato + leafy greens (Kale, spinach, etc.) + other vegetable (broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, etc.). Saute the vegetables, cover them with eggs and sprinkle everything with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, cook until the eggs are puffy and cheese is melt-y. It’s a fantastic way to start your day.

This particular recipe is all vegetable, but if you love meat I bet it would be great with some pieces of ham or bacon added. And if for some reason you don’t want to use eggs, the sauteed potato and vegetable mixture is pretty great all on it’s own, like a healthier version of hash browns! Flexible recipes like this are my absolute favorite because I can use ingredients that I have on hand or whatever I’m in the mood for instead of having to slavishly follow a recipe. I feel like that kind of improvisation is the key to becoming a better cook. I’ve come far from those days of boxed mashed potatoes and I hope to go even farther.

Cheesy Potato and Vegetable Frittata

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from Back to the Cutting Board, loosely adapted from All Recipes.com

Breakfast | Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 45 min | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped (or sliced if you prefer) onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups (about 4-5 small) red potatoes chopped into 1/2 inch thick cubes
• 2 cups Kale, stalks removed and leaves torn up into smaller pieces (substitute: spinach, swiss chard)
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 cups (about one head) chopped broccoli (substitute: cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, etc.)
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 tomato, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2-4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Process

1. In a 10″ cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom of pan and heat over medium.
2. Turn the heat to medium-low, add onions, garlic, potatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and potatoes are cooked through and fork tender, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue cooking until the potatoes are browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the temperature to medium and heat up a teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add in the broccoli and kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is crisp tender and the kale is wilted, about 5-7 minutes.
4. While the kale is cooking, break all the eggs into a bowl and beat with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to get soft and juicy.
6. Add the potato and onion mixture back in to the skillet and stir until all the vegetables are evenly distributed.
7. Pour the eggs over the vegetables. Place tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs look firm around the edges but still runny in the middle. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up or you will burn it! If your frittata is very thick and it’s taking a really long time to set, you can place it in a 350 degree oven for 5-15 minutes, checking it regularly.
8. Turn on your broiler and place the skillet under it for 1-3 minutes or until the eggs are fully set (they will look opaque and puffy and will start to brown on top, similar to an omelet) and the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
9. Cut into wedges and serve.