Easy Gluten Free Italian Frittata, Great for Breakfast, Brunch or in our house, great for Dinner!
Breakfast for dinner happens about twice a month at our house. Sometimes its Pancakes, sometimes Waffles, sometime Quiche, and this week it was a Frittata. I love Frittata’s because they are super easy to make and you can pretty much make it with any combination of ingredients you choose, whether you want veggies or meat, it always tastes delicious!
I love my Italian Frittata because it is chock-a-block full of colorful veggies. There is something about a colorful dish that makes it look more appealing to eat and veggies are the easiest and healthiest way to make any dish colorful. The other thing I love about making Frittata’s is that they are easy to make and a great way to add nutrition to my children’s diets and they love, love, love Quiche and Frittata’s are basically the same thing, but without the crust.
My husband and my kids last night asked me what the difference between a Frittata and a Quiche is, so I stand to bet that some of you are asking the same question. The most basic difference is that you don’t need to slave over making a crust. Sometimes, I like the flakiness of a quiche crust with each bite of my baked egg mixture, but sometimes, I don’t feel like fussing over a crust and want something quick and easy. The other thing is that you start out the frittata on the stove top and finish it off in the oven. The only other difference I think is notable to mention is that you use less cream or milk in frittata’s than you would with a quiche.
To make a frittata easy to make and less stressful, follow these easy steps. First decide what ingredients you want to add. It is good to choose ingredients that pair well together. See some of my suggestions below. Take all the ingredients you will be using and set them on the counter including veggies, meats, eggs, cream and herbs. Take time and slice and chop your veggies ahead of time. If you are using sausages, slice them ahead of time, too! Crack your eggs and put them in a medium bowl so that they are ready to go when you are. If you are not using pre-grated cheese, then grate your cheese and set it aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I recommend that if you are going to use a combination of meat and veggies that you cook or saute them in separate skillets. That way you can drain the grease from the meat and add it to the veggies when they are all cooked. Now you are ready to start! Below, is my favorite recipe for an Italian Style Frittata. I used only veggies in mine, but you could easily add gourmet sausages. Slice them at an angle, and saute them in a separate pan until they have a nice golden brown crust. Then add them to the sauteed veggies, before adding egg mixture.
Easy Italian Frittata ~ Gluten Free
Ingredients
1-2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
5-6 asparagus stalks, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 Roma tomato, sliced for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 eggs
1/2 cup cream or dairy free milk(coconut, rice, nut, soy)
3/4 -1 cup Italian cheese Blend *see below for fresh grated option
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp. dried.
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced or 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 bunch of green onions for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Prepare veggies, chop and dice and set aside in separate bowls or groupings.
Preheat large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. Sweat the garlic for about a minute then add onion, pepper, and asparagus. Saute veggies until they begin to soften, then add the chopped zucchini and tomato. Continue to cook veggies until they become al-dente. (soft but not soggy)
Meanwhile, crack eggs and add them to medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, fresh basil or Italian Seasoning, and cream. Beat eggs for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until well combined. Stir in cheese.
Reduce heat on veggies to medium low. Add egg mixture all at once over veggies. Take your cooking spoon or spatula and gently move egg mixture around incorporating it into veggies without over mixing and allowing the egg mixture to flow to bottom of skillet. Allow to cook gently over medium low heat on stove top without stirring for 3-4 minutes. Place the slice tomatoes gently on top of egg mixture, allowing them to rest on top for nice presentation.
Double wrap skillet handle with aluminum foil. Cover skillet with foil. Place in oven on center rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until completely set and when knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove foil last 10 minutes of baking to allow the top of the frittata to lightly brown.
Allow frittata to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve warm, garnished with green onions.
Note: If using fresh grated cheeses, use 1/4 up Parmesan, 1/4 Romano, and 1/4 Mozzarella
Other delicious Frittata Pairings
* Ground Italian Sausage and Leeks
* Zucchinni, Red Peppers, Leeks
* Red, Yellow, Green Bell Peppers with Cilantro and Monteray Jack Cheese
* Bacon, Sliced Red Potatoes Cheddar Cheese and Green Onions, garnished with Sour Cream and Tomatoes
* Mushroom and Leek
* Ham and cheese
* Asparagus, Artichoke and Italian Cheeses
* Sun Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, Red Peppers, Gourmet Chicken Sausage, Garlic and Italian Cheese