Black bean, green chile and tomato frittata recipe {vegetarian, gluten-free}

Guess who's coming to dinner? I love to be spontaneous, especially after a long day of testing and photographing recipes, and no matter who drops by for dinner, I can always depend on a quick and easy frittata to fill the gaps in a meal of experiments that didn't work perfectly. (Don't get me wrong; I feed those recipe failures to my friends, too, but I always like to have one proven good dish on the menu so my friends will come back.) A frittata is a crustless quiche, and this Mexican-inspired version relies on staples I always have in my pantry: canned black beans, canned green chiles, grated cheese and eggs.

Black bean, green chile and tomato frittata

From the pantry, you'll need: eggs, canned green chile peppers, canned black beans, grated cheese, Mexican oregano, cumin, black pepper, cooking spray.

Serves 4 as a main dish for dinner or brunch, with a side salad.

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 cup grated cheese (I use bits from the freezer, or store-bought low-fat Mexican 4-cheese blend)
2 oz canned green chiles, drained
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
A pinch of Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Cooking spray (preferably canola or vegetable oil spray)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, batter bowl or 2-quart glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs lightly. Then, with a rubber spatula, stir in the cheese, chiles, tomato, beans, oregano, cumin and black pepper.

Spray a 10-inch nonstick frying pan with the cooking spray, and preheat the pan over low heat for one minute. Pour in the egg mixture. Cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 8 minutes. Gently lift the edge here and there, and let the unset egg mixture run under the edge all the way around. Cover the pan, and continue to cook until the top is set, another 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of extra grated cheese on top, if you wish; cover and cook just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.

Set the frittata aside to cool slightly or to room temperature. The longer it sits, the easier it will be to cut. Frittatas are great picnic fare, and can be made a day in advance.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Asparagus frittata
Frittata with broccoli and garden herbs
Egg and cheese casserole with leeks, red pepper and bacon
Red pepper, asparagus and spinach quiche
Asparagus, mushroom and sausage quiche

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Frittata with prosciutto, basil and spinach, from Wrightfood
Asparagus and tomato frittata with havarti and dill, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Gluten-free pasta frittata with goat cheese, from Gluten-Free Goddess
Rice cooker frittata with summer vegetables, from Just Bento
Squash blossom frittata, from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska

Need more creative ideas for using tomatoes all year round? Get 25 Tomatoes, my e-book packed with fantastic recipes, full-color photos and a fun video tutorial. With the FREE Kindle Reading app, delicious tomato recipes will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Black bean, green chile and tomato frittata

From the pantry, you'll need: eggs, canned green chile peppers, canned black beans, grated cheese, Mexican oregano, cumin, black pepper, cooking spray.

Serves 4 as a main dish for dinner or brunch, with a side salad.

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 cup grated cheese (I use bits from the freezer, or store-bought low-fat Mexican 4-cheese blend)
2 oz canned green chiles, drained
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
A pinch of Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Cooking spray (preferably canola or vegetable oil spray)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, batter bowl or 2-quart glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs lightly. Then, with a rubber spatula, stir in the cheese, chiles, tomato, beans, oregano, cumin and black pepper.

Spray a 10-inch nonstick frying pan with the cooking spray, and preheat the pan over low heat for one minute. Pour in the egg mixture. Cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 8 minutes. Gently lift the edge here and there, and let the unset egg mixture run under the edge all the way around. Cover the pan, and continue to cook until the top is set, another 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of extra grated cheese on top, if you wish; cover and cook just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.

Set the frittata aside to cool slightly or to room temperature. The longer it sits, the easier it will be to cut. Frittatas are great picnic fare, and can be made a day in advance.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Asparagus frittata
Frittata with broccoli and garden herbs
Egg and cheese casserole with leeks, red pepper and bacon
Red pepper, asparagus and spinach quiche
Asparagus, mushroom and sausage quiche

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Frittata with prosciutto, basil and spinach, from Wrightfood
Asparagus and tomato frittata with havarti and dill, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Gluten-free pasta frittata with goat cheese, from Gluten-Free Goddess
Rice cooker frittata with summer vegetables, from Just Bento
Squash blossom frittata, from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska

Need more creative ideas for using tomatoes all year round? Get 25 Tomatoes, my e-book packed with fantastic recipes, full-color photos and a fun video tutorial. With the FREE Kindle Reading app, delicious tomato recipes will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Comments

Genius x 100. I have all these ingredients sitting in the pantry, too. Great post!

Love the idea of a frittata with Mexican flavors!

Good one Lydia! When I read it I was actually eating something similar for breakfast, on the Spanish tortilla model.

stoooopid question of the day: is there a *big* difference between a frittata and a casserole?

I wish I was coming to your dinner!

Michelle, thanks! You're all set to make frittata!

Kalyn, I love almost anything with green chiles and eggs. And black beans.

Susan, what I love about this dish is that it doesn't have the potatoes of the Spanish tortilla. Or the vast amount of oil that they use in Spain (which, of course, is what makes tortilla Española taste so good).

Milton, that's a great question. Casseroles are baked in the oven; frittatas are usually made on the stovetop. Sometimes they're popped under the broiler to crisp the top, but this one is not. You could bake this dish in the oven for 30-35 minutes if you prefer.

Maris, any time! I'd love it.

It just so happened that i had planned on making an egg and cheese casserole for dinner last night anyway and I had all the extra ingredients for this recipe,,,,,,,very very tasty and so easy....from start to finish. I have a new electric stove and getting used to heat is proving quite the challenge which is why I wanted to avoid the pan! 35 minutes at 375 worked perfectly and with a side of salad and russian dressing and a few glasses of pinot wooooo HOOOOOOO :)

Milton, great adaptation of the recipe to a casserole baked in the oven. Wish I'd been at your house for dinner, as you made my favorite salad, too. Thanks for coming back to let us know that you enjoyed the recipe.

I agree, a fritatta is one of my go-to meals. So easy and big bang for the buck! Yours looks delish

Lydia, this frittata looks gorgeous - I would love to be recipient of any of your kitchen "failures!"

Eggs are a wonder food and I never get tired of them! However I am NOT the greatest egg cooker - they always taste good but don't always look pretty. I think this frittata looks easy enough for even me!

I am so making mini-versions of this for me to pack for breakfasts next week! Sounds yummy.