Garbage Frittata

I work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so I try to cook ahead on Monday so that I can spend the after work hour or two with my boys before Jas’ bedtime instead of cooking, but it doesn’t always work that way. On weeks that I didn’t plan ahead, I’ve taken to making garbage frittatas. Our friends Al and Meena, who are way more creative than us, are really good about throwing random leftover ingredients together and making something that looks beautiful and delicious, so hat tip to them for giving me a great work night dinner idea!

Here are the basics – this makes enough for Grant and me for dinner, and usually leaves a slice or two leftover for lunch for me the next day (but not last night because Grant was hungry!).

Ingredients
6 (local) eggs
1/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp of fresh herbs or 2 tsp of dried herbs of your choice
whatever veggies you have in the fridge
cheese – a little goes a long way
preheat oven to 350 degrees
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
By Tuesday or Wednesday, I always seem to have some scraps of veggies that I haven’t used from our CSA delivery, so the frittata has become the perfect meal to use up all of those extras. Last night, I had maybe three crimini mushrooms, some swiss chard and some asparagus. So I diced up all of that stuff, along with some onion, garlic and fresh basil and oregano, and threw it in a skillet with some olive oil. Once everything was browned, I poured in the eggs and milk and stirred everything together, so that the veggies were mixed in well. I shredded some parmesan cheese on top after the eggs had set up just a bit. Then I put the whole skillet (make sure you’re using an all-metal or cast iron pan) in the oven for about 15 minutes (or until the top looks brown and bubbly). I just dump it onto a plate from there, cut it up like a pie/quiche, and serve with a salad on the side.

Be adventurous – we haven’t found a veggie that doesn’t taste delicious in the frittata. If I use potatoes, I usually steam/brown/bake them for just a bit, so that they don’t take as long to cook (and cause the other ingredients to burn). Try different cheeses too. As the summer progresses, we’ll make this with onions, zucchini, peppers and cheddar. This makes a great Meatless Monday meal, but sometimes we’ll add bacon or sausage from our pig if we’re in the mood. Also, I’ve become a bit obsessed with Siracha, so I always add a bit of that on top to give it a little extra kick.

I forgot to take pictures because we were too hungry to wait, but you’ll just have to trust me and add this one to your repertoire!