Cheesy Frittata

Name: Cheesy Frittata
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 large eggs; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Up to 2 cups frozen, cooked or quick-cooking mix-ins (such as packed kale, cooked rice, leftover pasta, frozen corn, tender herbs, pitted olives, chopped tomatoes or cooked chicken); 3 to 6 ounces any cheese (such as mozzarella, Cheddar, feta, halloumi or pecorino); 2 tablespoons any fat (such as butter, olive oil, bacon fat, ghee or neutral oil)

By Sohla El-Waylly

Updated Jan. 8, 2024

Cheesy Frittata — Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(728)
Comments: Read comments

Random leftovers or wilted vegetables in your fridge won’t go to waste when you use this easy frittata formula. First, whisk eggs with salt and allow them to sit while you prepare your mix-ins. This gives the salt time to uncoil some of those egg proteins so they cook up tender and creamy. Next, sauté or warm through any quick-cooking or cooked ingredients, like tender vegetables, cooked grains or shredded rotisserie chicken. Then stir in the beaten eggs and cook into large curds. Top everything with cheese and quickly broil to set the top and melt the cheese. Get creative with the ingredient combos: Try cooking the frittata in bacon fat, filling it with leftover French fries and topping with Cheddar. Stir the eggs into a mix of wilted herbs and spinach, and top with feta for a spanakopita feel. The possibilities are endless.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

8large eggs
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Up to 2 cups frozen, cooked or quick-cooking mix-ins (such as packed kale, cooked rice, leftover pasta, frozen corn, tender herbs, pitted olives, chopped tomatoes or cooked chicken)
3 to 6ounces any cheese (such as mozzarella, Cheddar, feta, halloumi or pecorino)
2tablespoons any fat (such as butter, olive oil, bacon fat, ghee or neutral oil)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2
Chop or tear your mix-ins so they are all bite-size. Shred, tear, crumble or chop the cheese into small pieces. Set a rack about 6 inches below the broiler and heat on high.
Step 3
Add the fat to a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or broiler-safe nonstick skillet and heat over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add any quick-cooking or frozen mix-ins first, lightly season with salt if needed, and stir frequently until wilted and tender, 2 to 7 minutes. Add any cooked mix-ins next, lightly season with salt if needed, and stir frequently until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4
Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in the eggs. Stir to combine and cook. As the edges and sides set, use a spatula to scrape them into the middle, allowing the runny center to flow to the edges. Repeat this process until you have some large curds set within the mostly runny mass, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to low and spread the mixture flat into an even layer, giving the pan a firm tap against the stovetop to evenly settle the mixture. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom and sides feel set when you shake the pan, while the eggs on top are slightly runny, 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 6
Remove from heat, dot with cheese and broil until puffed and browned, the top is set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 to 3 minutes. Let rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

728 user ratings

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Comments

Skyeenter1 year ago

For most beaten egg dishes, like a frittata, I mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch to 3 tablespoons water into a slurry, add seasoning and aromatics and add to the beaten eggs. It yields an excellent binder, distributes the seasonings in the mixture as well as fluffing and puffing the eggs for increased volume.

beans1 year ago

If you have a glass cooktop, do NOT give the pan a “firm tap” against the stovetop unless you want to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new glass cooktop. Shaking the pan on a glass cooktop is likewise a bad idea.

me in nj1 year ago

My favorite ingredients for frittatas are caramelized onions made in advance and kept in a jar in the refrigerator and the leaves from a bunch of radishes or beets.

Jess Bee1 year ago

With our 12-inch cast iron, 9 eggs, 1/2 t fine sea salt, a large onion caramelized in 2T olive oil, close to two cups diced chard stems, a tablespoon fresh thyme, over a half cup chunked feta, and a sprinkling of torn tarragon leaves to finish. Excellent!

vrajaprana1 year ago

If you have neither broiler nor air fryer, how do you finish? Very hot oven?

Maureen1 year ago

Love this clean out the fridge method. And I did and it was super tasty. I did overcook the frittata somehow. Maybe cuz one of my add-ins was breadcrumbs. Or maybe cuz I let it go past the "jiggly" phase when it was on the desktop or perhaps it overcooked in the broiler phase, not sure. I'll make this again, but would watch that.

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