frittayta, frittahta

Frittata is one of those words that always requires me to use my brain to spell. Focaccia is another one. I'm never quite sure if the double letters come first or last.

That's certainly no reason not to make either one, and often! The humble and often overlooked frittata is one of my favorite easy suppers. It's easily adaptable to what you have on hand and can be in the oven in less than five minutes, depending on what prep work needs to be done. On this particular evening, I had some caramelized onions already waiting for me (leftovers from my baked spaghetti!), a jar of roasted red peppers, some bacon from the weekend, cilantro from the garden (hurrah!), and plenty of cheese, so my egg bake didn't really require much thought.

What follows is the recipe I used, and while it came out perfectly and tasted wonderful, some changes would and should be made if you vary the add-ins too much. Adding watery ingredients like tomatoes, using a less greasy meat or no meat at all, or replacing milk with half-and-half or cream will change things. For these reasons and more (type of dish, size of eggs, vigor of mixing, et cetera, and et cetera), I submit that no two frittatas are ever the same. I like it like that.

Fritatta Frittata
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped and blotted dry
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3-4 pieces bacon, cooked crispy and coarsely chopped
• 1/2-1 cup gouda, jack, or provolone cheese, shredded
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9- or 10-inch pie pan with nonstick spray.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Saute the onion until lightly browned and very aromatic, about 7 minutes.
Sprinkle the sauteed onions, roasted red peppers, chopped bacon, cilantro, and shredded cheese evenly onto the pie plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk just until slightly frothy. Season with mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Pour into the plate, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with vegetable and cheese mixture.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until set in the center.
Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.