Recipe for potato, onion and blue cheese frittata {vegetarian, gluten-free}

A blizzard can be a cook's best friend. Trapped in the house, with only my pantry and whatever I can scrounge in the refrigerator, I do some of my best, and most relaxed, cooking. On the day I made this frittata -- a kind of omelet finished under the broiler, to give it a bit of a crusty top -- I found a small piece of Stilton cheese left over from our New Year's Eve celebration with friends (thanks, Mary), and a couple of red-skinned new potatoes that were no longer brand new. Of course I always have eggs and onions, and soon enough, this frittata came to life. Use your favorite blue cheese, strong or mild. If blue cheese isn't your thing, try feta or goat cheese, or whatever you have on the day the snow strands you indoors. Be sure to use a frying pan that's oven-safe (no handles that will melt).

Potato, onion and blue cheese frittata

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, olive oil, eggs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves 2-3; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
3 small red-skinned new potatoes, thinly sliced
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
2 tsp milk (nonfat or low-fat)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or more to taste

Directions

In a small nonstick oven-safe frying pan (I use an 8-inch pan), heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and potatoes for 3-4 minutes, until gently browned.

While the vegetables are browning, beat the eggs in a large glass measuring cup. Stir in the blue cheese and milk. Then add the parsley, salt and pepper.

When the onions and potatoes are lightly browned, turn the heat to low. Pour the egg mixture over the top, and swirl the pan a bit to get the eggs evenly distributed.

Cover the pan and cook on low for 3 minutes. Lift the cover and, with a rubber spatula, lift the edges of the frittata to let some of the uncooked egg flow underneath. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes, and repeat the lifting/flowing.

Preheat your broiler.

Cook covered, for 3-4 minutes more, or until the frittata is almost completely set but the top is a little bit runny.

Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and melted; how long that takes will depend on the type of broiler you have. (My infrared broiler took only one minute to melt the cheese.)

Remove the pan from the oven, and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. The sitting time is important, as the frittata will set, and be easier to slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More frittatas, because you can never have too many:
Herb and ricotta frittata
Zucchini, goat cheese and basil frittata
Black bean, green chile and tomato frittata
Asparagus frittata for two
Italian style omelet appetizer

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Potato and broccolini frittata, from Smitten Kitchen
Mini muffin frittatas, from Simply Recipes
Persian herb frittata, from The Kitchn
Kale frittata, from David Lebovitz
Slow cooker frittata with artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and feta, from Kalyn's Kitchen

Potato, onion and blue cheese frittata

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, olive oil, eggs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves 2-3; can be multiplied.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
3 small red-skinned new potatoes, thinly sliced
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
2 tsp milk (nonfat or low-fat)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or more to taste

Directions

In a small nonstick oven-safe frying pan (I use an 8-inch pan), heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and potatoes for 3-4 minutes, until gently browned.

While the vegetables are browning, beat the eggs in a large glass measuring cup. Stir in the blue cheese and milk. Then add the parsley, salt and pepper.

When the onions and potatoes are lightly browned, turn the heat to low. Pour the egg mixture over the top, and swirl the pan a bit to get the eggs evenly distributed.

Cover the pan and cook on low for 3 minutes. Lift the cover and, with a rubber spatula, lift the edges of the frittata to let some of the uncooked egg flow underneath. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes, and repeat the lifting/flowing.

Preheat your broiler.

Cook covered, for 3-4 minutes more, or until the frittata is almost completely set but the top is a little bit runny.

Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and melted; how long that takes will depend on the type of broiler you have. (My infrared broiler took only one minute to melt the cheese.)

Remove the pan from the oven, and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. The sitting time is important, as the frittata will set, and be easier to slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More frittatas, because you can never have too many:
Herb and ricotta frittata
Zucchini, goat cheese and basil frittata
Black bean, green chile and tomato frittata
Asparagus frittata for two
Italian style omelet appetizer

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Potato and broccolini frittata, from Smitten Kitchen
Mini muffin frittatas, from Simply Recipes
Persian herb frittata, from The Kitchn
Kale frittata, from David Lebovitz
Slow cooker frittata with artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and feta, from Kalyn's Kitchen

Comments

Potatoes, onions and cheese are such very French ingredients for a frittata (or omelet) and mmmm I adore bleu cheese and it definitely peps up a dish like this. Your locked-in-the-house cooking is like ours. Now I have to make something like this this week!

Jamie, I really think I do my best cooking when I have a finite number of ingredients to work with. Because I live 5 miles from the nearest store, a snow storm often keeps me in the house, and then I get to play in my pantry to see what's on hand. Always eggs, of course. Always onions. From there, who knows?

Sadly not on my diet but this does look delicious!

good warning about handles -- I have the perfect pan for a frittata except for its wood, now scorched, handle

Kalyn, it's a treat!

Susan, I've melted a few handles in my time, too. You can wrap those wood handles in aluminum foil.

I love frittatas; I make them a lot for BL&D. It's so much fun to look in the fridge and wing it. I don't even bother with the stove cooking portion. I just sauté the fillings, add the eggs, and stick the whole pan in the oven for 15-29 minutes. It always comes out perfectly.

Jeri, I love the little crust on the bottom from the stovetop part of the cooking. I also make lots of baked egg dishes. Today's a snow day, so I'm off to forage in the fridge for more eggy things to cook!