Broccoli, Onion & Bacon Frittata with Cheddar

The frittata is an Italian dish that makes good use of whatever ingredients you have on hand. A well-made frittata is one of the world’s most perfect foods. It’s cheap, quick-cooking, and an efficient vehicle for leftovers — not to mention equally delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, the frittata has many variations and can be enriched with ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. This light and fluffy Broccoli, Onion and Bacon Frittata with Cheddar was easy and delicious, taking advantage of a lonely head of broccoli, bacon, onion, roasted red pepper and large eggs that were on hand and were calling out to be made into a quick dinner. Any kind of cheese could be used, and if I had any mushrooms, they would have added too. Using a non-stick pan is the secret to the perfect frittata, and customizing it to your favourite ingredients makes it an ideal lazy dinner.

Frittata ingredients all whisked together in a mixing bowl

Poured into a non-stick pan and topped with sliced tomatoes

Cooked on the stove for 30 minutes then baked for 25 minutes at 350°F

Serve with a nice cold wine like this delicious 2013 Pinot Grigio from Venezia

A small Greek salad was a nice side dish to the frittata

Broccoli, Onion & Bacon Frittata with Cheddar

Serves 4

7 large eggs

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 head of broccoli, broken into small florets

1 small onion, finely diced

1/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced

2 cups grated cheddar

2 small hot house tomatoes, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté bacon in a non-stick pan over medium high heat until lightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon and drain on paper towel, reserving the fat in the pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté in the bacon fat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets to the onion and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and spoon into a bowl to let cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Season with salt and  pepper to taste. Once the onion-broccoli mixture has cooled down, add to the eggs along with the bacon, red pepper and grated cheddar. Pour the mixture into the non-stick pan and top with sliced tomatoes. Cook the frittata uncovered on the stove top on medium for about 20-30 minutes until the bottom and sides become firm — the top will still be jiggly. Then place the frittata uncovered in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and cooked through.