A few months ago, I was visiting Cleveland and took a cooking class at The Western Reserve School of Cooking. One of the dishes we made with owner and chef Catherine St. John was an oven-baked version of the classic Italian frittata. Frittatas can be served for any meal or as an appetizer. They are firm in texture and easily cut into squares when served at room temperature. They also provide a great way to use up leftovers.
Chef Catherine taught us to sauté the vegetables, pour them into a baking dish, add the egg and cheese mixtures, and bake for 20 minutes.
We have many eggs here at Judy’s Chickens, so we make this one-pot meal a lot!
After making this meal a few times, I developed a foolproof formula for making the dairy mixture of the frittata: 12 large eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk, cream, or ricotta, 1 heaping cup of shredded cheese, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Pour this over any medley of cooked vegetables that loosely fills your lasagna pan to about the one-inch mark.
Here’s a recipe to get you started.
Ingredients:
The Egg and Cheese Mixture:
12 large eggs
½ cup ricotta, whole milk, or cream
1 tsp salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 heaping cup of any cheese, shredded
The Veggie Mixture:
4 cups potatoes (about 4 medium or 1½ pounds), diced or shredded
1½ cups green onions with tops, about 5 sliced
½ red bell pepper, about ½ cup, seeded and diced
1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic (from the jar is fine)
2 cups cooked leftover vegetables such as zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, or cauliflower, OR any uncooked greens such as spinach, chard, or kale
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º
Chop all the fresh veggies. I used buttery Yukon and red potatoes, sweet red bell pepper, green onions with stalks, and minced garlic.
Sauté garlic, onion, pepper, and potatoes in olive oil, on medium heat, in a 12-inch non-stick skillet for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but still firm.
Stir in drained leftover cooked veggies and heat until warm. I used leftover roasted zucchini and summer squash with green onions and garlic. Spread vegetable medley evenly in a lasagna pan.
Mix eggs, milk, cream or ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetables.
Add shredded cheese and poke it into the vegetables and egg mixture. 
Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven. Insert the knife tip in the center to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, remove the frittata from the oven. If not, cook for another 5 minutes and check again. Repeat until done.
Another frittata version: potatoes, kale, green onion, zucchini, and a lone radish
This was one day’s pickings from the garden. I decided, as a trial, to throw all of it into the frittata along with dairy ingredients to see if it would work. I tried fresh kale. It was delicious.
Here it is, all prepped.
Here is how I prepped the vegetables:
Green onions
A lone watermelon radish
My first zucchini of the season!
Shredded potatoes
I trimmed the tough stem off each kale leaf.
I tore the leaves into 3-inch pieces, added them to the vegetable sauté last, and cooked them for one minute until wilted. Chard, collards, or spinach would also work well here. Be sure to remove the thick stems from the collards or chard.
Notice how when the frittata first comes out of the oven, it is like a soufflé, all puffed up and fluffy. It will fall after about 5 minutes. I think the frittata is tastiest when it is still light and fluffy like this, but as I have said, it is still excellent later in the day at room temperature or even cold from the fridge.
Once, I mixed a bunch of cheeses left over from a cookout and used them for the cheese portion of the recipe. This worked just fine.
Another frittata version: leftover ditalini pasta and roasted zucchini, summer squash, and leeks, with fresh, chopped mint
I increased the amount of cheese for this version:
12 eggs, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 cup Parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella
4 cups cooked pasta, 4 cups roasted zucchini with leeks, 1/2 cup chopped mint
Prepping the mint
Prepping the mozzarella
The four stages of combining and baking the frittata:
Melty goodness!
Other delicious foods to serve at breakfast
Fruit and Nut Bread
The Biscuit King
Very Berry Clafoutis
Quiche Lorraine with Bacon and Kale
Sorghum, Seeds, and Grains Granola
How to Make Grape Jelly (and Grow the Grapes)
LET’S STAY CONNECTED!
Follow my photos of vegetables growing, backyard chickens hanging out, and dinner preparations on Instagram at JudysChickens.
Never miss a post: sign up to become a follower of the Blog.
© 2014-2021 Judy Wright. All rights reserved. Photos and text may only be used with written consent.
@judyschickens 
Thanks Judy, that is inspiring
Thank you! Come by and see my vegetable garden one day!
I have been making frittatas for a while, but once again am intrigued with your methods and recipes. Mine are always too dry as I didn’t think about milk, cream or ricotta. Love the ricotta idea, and will try that next time. Also–I am lazy, and have not pre-cooked the veggies. I will mend my ways! Finally, I pour the mixture into a cast iron skillet which is pre-heated on the stove, then place in the oven. Maybe this contributes to the dryness? Looking forward to trying your version! (I love the prep photos–so helpful!)
Liz, thanks for writing. About the dryness, I only bake the frittata about 20 minutes and take it out as soon as the knife test comes out clean. Like you, I have never had success with baking a frittata in a cast-iron skillet. It usually ends up dry and crumbly. I used cream yesterday, and I have to admit, it was the moistest of any frittata variation I have tried! Cooking the vegetables ahead of time — a must. If you use greens, stir them in after you take the other sautéed vegetables off the heat. They will cook in the oven. BTW, I love that the potatoes still had some firmness to them after being sautéed. We all agreed that texture-wise, diced potatoes give the frittata some umph. I might also add, if there are only two of us eating breakfast, Kelly will usually make an omelette — similar ingredients, super moist and quicker. Let me know when you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Thanks! Judy
It is a perfect way to use up leftovers. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll try it this week.
Sent from my iPhone Sue Dougherty Mssuewrite@gmail.com
>
And you were THERE at the class!! The kids are all eating the pasta, zucchini and mint frittata I made for dinner last night. They are loving it for lunch today. So am I!
Love this recipe, Judy!! Will be using it a lot this summer in Chautauqua – feeds lots of houseguests!!!
It will be the perfect Chautauqua breakfast, lunch or dinner, Mary! Thanks for writing!
This is going to be our meatless Monday dinner this week. Thank you!
And maybe Tuesaday’s lunch, too 🙂 Thanks, L.A.! xo
Lovely and creative variations with your wonderful veggies and eggs! Also, really enjoyed your post on TNFP…read it while we we out of town. Thanks for the inspiration, Judy!
Aww, thanks, Laura! The only way we can deal with all of that produce is by blanching and freezing some of it and storing it in TNFP’s new walk-in freezer donated by Christ Church Cathedral parishioners. Such a great gift, especially now that we Delvin Farms lets us glean every Monday. Thanks for writing, Laura.
I found your blog on Leigh’s FB page and thought I would follow. This receipe looks yummy and I love seeing the pictures of your gardens. Send me your email and I’ll send you pics of my husband’s tomatoes. You will,love it!
Made a version of this 2 days ago – big hit with Jim. We’ve eaten for dinner and then for lunch and today I ate for breakfast! Just passed recipe to Grace and Chris who are off to the grocery store for ingredients and who now subscribe to your blog! Your easy instructions and clear pictures are perfect for those new to cooking. Just had to let you know…
Thanks you, Mary! I love to hear that since I write these recipes with my boys and their wives, or girlfriends, in mind as the reader. Last week, we had a some friends over for the weekend and on Sunday, I took a lot of the leftovers and made a frittata for brunch. It’s a delicious way to use up food in the fridge!
I love that Grace is a subscriber now. I’m so happy for her and Chris — a truly sweet couple. Thanks for writing!
Try the Croatian spread. I made it for Jesse’s friends this weekend and they ate it all in one day!
Best to Jim. xoJudy
I can not wait to make this! Thanks!
I think you’re going to like it, MH!