Quick Mid-Week Dinner Solution: Potato-Egg Frittata

These 3-4 weeks before the end are the roughest weeks in a semester.  I seem to be returning exams and papers constantly—returned about 90 this week alone!—and can’t seem to find a break before the final stretch of term papers and final exams.  This is NOT the week for gourmet dinners full of carefully orchestrated dishes.  Omelets are a nice way to get some protein in a continental-style dinner, but there’s something even better: a frittata!

I tried out a few different recipes for frittatas, including an egg-white sage one with chanterelles that Martha Stewart created (http://www.wholeliving.com/131024/sage-egg-white-frittata).  During weekdays, a go-to frittata usually includes potatoes and thus is reminiscent of Tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelet).  This dish is very simple, and you can try an infinite variety of combinations of flavors.  I first fell in love with a Food & Wine version with salami and goat cheese, but I’ve since tried it with roasted red pepper strips, brie, and basil with great success.  Or mushroom, thyme, and shallots with Gruyere.  You get the idea: eggs, potatoes, a cheese, and whatever else you have on handy.

For a quick reference guide, here’s the recipe for Potato Salami and Cheese Frittata: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/potato-salami-and-cheese-frittata.  Remember though that possibilities are endless!

Here’s what you do to serve 4-6:

1) Peel and cube a large baking potato into ½ inch pieces.  (When I’m in a hurry, I cut the potato into ¼ inch dice for faster cooking.)  Melt some butter and olive oil in a non-stick 12-inch pan and then add the potatoes to lightly brown over medium-high heat.

2) Crack 8 eggs in a bowl and whisk with a little salt and pepper and some grated parmesan cheese.  Add to this mixture salami sliced thin and then cut into strips (or roasted red pepper strips).  Turn your broiler on at this point.

3) Heat some more butter and/or olive oil in the pan, and then pour egg mixture over the cooked potatoes.  At this point, you can scatter about 3-4 oz. crumbled boursin or goat cheese.  (If you’ve chosen to use roasted red peppers, you can place strips of brie—with or without the rind—over the egg mixture.)  Let the mixture set for about 5-6 minutes, lifting with a spatula occasionally to let uncooked portions of the eggs flow to the bottom of the pan.

4) Place the pan under the broiler, 6-8 inches away from the flame, and cook for just another 2-3 minutes until the top looks golden brown in spots and the egg mixture is set.  Remove from oven.  If you wish, you can sprinkle chopped parsley over the frittata (or basil over the roasted red pepper version).  Slide the frittata onto a plate, cut into wedges, and serve with a side salad. 

Not bad for a weeknight supper!