Asparagus Frittata with Salad

How about you guys? Are you rocking breakfast for dinner? Think about Frittatas. They’re easier than an omelette, faster (and less calorie ridden) than a quiche and made in one pan. Add a little fruit or small salad on the side and you’ve got yourself breakfast, dinner or lunch.

Asparagus Frittata – this one has a little Salmon tossed in

This is a wonderful Frittata when the spring Asparagus is out – but Frittatas are also a great way to think seasonally. This recipe will work with any of your favorite meat/vegetable/cheese combinations.

Frittatas are also a great way to use up anything that might otherwise languish in your fridge. Since any meat or vegetables for a frittata need to be cooked first, you save yourself a step by tossing leftovers in a frittata.

You can see in the photos that this go around I added a little smoked salmon. Another classic combo is asparagus and ham. Play around and come up with your classic flavors.

While most frittatas are pretty inexpensive, with careful shopping, this one was downright cheap. Serving it with a simple salad dressed it up beautifully. Hash Browns, like these Baked Potato Hash Browns, would never be inappropriate, either.

Asparagus Frittata – this one has a little Salmon tossed in

Asparagus Frittata

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30 min
Difficulty: easy
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1 tablespoon butter
½ cup diced onion
1 12-ounce bunch asparagus
8 large eggs
1 cup finely diced or shredded cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chives for garnish, optional

Preheat broiler.

Melt butter in heavy broiler proof 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for a minute or two. While that’s cooking, remove the tough ends of the asparagus and slice (on the diagonal is prettier) into 1″ pieces. Keep the tips separate from the stalks.

Add asparagus stalks to the pan, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about three to five minutes, depending on the thickness. Add tips and sauté another five minutes or so. If the pan becomes too dry, add in a tablespoon or so of water. Smooth to an even layer.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a medium bowl until uniformly yellow and light, then add 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper. Add egg mixture to skillet and fold gently to combine.

Turn the heat down to low and cook until almost set – it’s ok to gently push in the sides with a spatula until nearly done, but smooth the top as best as you can. It may not look too good at this point -don’t worry, it will come out fine.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and broil until the frittata is slightly puffed and cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve right out of the pan or plate.

Notes:

The easiest way to spoil a frittata is to overcook, so be gentle!
For a healthier version, use olive oil instead of butter and reduce the cheese.
Add anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4’s of a cup of smoked salmon or ham for a heartier breakfast.

Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:

Read {Strategies Applied} for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving money/time and managing this recipe on a budget.
Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.
Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
Use a coupon matching site! Do not discount the savings! I check a site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.

Leftovers:

Consider wrapping left over Frittata in a bit of parchment for a breakfast on the go – eat as is or warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Believe me, even reheated it will beat any drive through fast food breakfast out there.
I’ve even frozen the odd piece of Frittata, and while the texture suffers a bit, it’s still much better than the frozen drive through eggs.

Nutrition:

Servings, 4 Cal 300, cal fr fat 175, tot fat 20g; sat fat 8g; chol 401mg; sod 1100mg; tot carb 6.31g; fib 1.43g; sug 1/45g; prot 24.3g

Put your Own Spin on It:

Make the Frittata Your Way: Open up your fridge and see what you have for inspiration!

Leftover green beans? Think French – use a little tarragon and maybe goat cheese. Leftover greens or spinach? Add in with delicate scraping of nutmeg or go full on Italian with basil or oregano. Pinto beans? Think Mexican. White beans? Italian. Leeks are wonderful as is onion or chive. Mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini and broccoli are all good bets. Even potatoes are sometimes folded in. You’ll need about two cups of vegetables.
Use any kind of cheese you’d like – it’s hard to go wrong – about ½ to a cup is a good amount. A few cheeses that come to mind: Parmesan, Romano, Fontina, goat cheese, ricotta, Gruyere and any of the block varieties…from Swiss to Cheddar or even Pepper Jack.
Make your Frittata a little bit healthier by using more egg white than yolks, cutting back on the amount of eggs, and using the smaller amount or no cheese. Substitute olive oil for butter.
Want to indulge? Add in various sausages or meats – Italian Sausage, ham, salami, prosciutto, etc.

Kitchen & Cooking Hacks:

To remove tough ends, slide one out of the rubber band, and snap it, holding it at the ends – It will break in just the right place. Line that stalk up with the rest of the asparagus that is still banded cut through them all at once. The stalks take longer to cook than the ends, so sliding a band up to keep the tips together saves you a bit of time. I don’t waste the ends – they go in my morning smoothie, after being sliced a few more times.