Ham and Cheese Omelet

This ham and cheese omelet recipe is quick and delicious. I love a good breakfast, and this hearty ham and cheese omelet sure did satisfy. I cubed some leftover thick-sliced spiral ham. I don’t care for the thin deli ham used in most omelets, so the thick-cut ham makes all the difference. This omelet took no more than 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish, and it was fabulous. I grated my Cheddar instead of cubing it.

This was a new-to-me way to make an omelet. Usually I fry the egg batter, fill it, and fold it over. Here, the filling is mixed into the egg batter and panfried as is. This worked really well. The ham and cheese were evenly distributed, and the omelet kept its shape very well when folded over. I used diced leftover ham and a medium Cheddar cut into 1-centimeter (1/3-inch) cubes. The cheese melted beautifully since it was in the pan the entire time the omelet cooked and not just added at the end. The mustard powder in the egg batter added a nice spicy note. I really liked this preparation and will surely make this ham and cheese omelet recipe again.

You may be wondering, why would I possibly need a recipe for an omelet? You probably don’t, but trust me, it’s well worth using this ham and cheese omelet recipe. I have ALWAYS wanted to finish an omelet under the broiler but never have…until now. This perfect omelet took little more than 10 minutes to make. I cut my ham and cheese into 1/4-inch cubes. I used a Calphalon skillet with a metal handle, so I could move it to the broiler. You can tell when the bottom of the omelet is solid—it’s when bubbles in the butter are obviously moving from the center and popping up from the edge. I really LOVE this omelet and will henceforth finish them under the broiler.

This is something I have made thousands of times in my life, and I don’t think I’ve looked at a recipe once. Taught by my mom when I was a wee one (okay, maybe not a wee one, but many moons ago now), I never considered that there might be right or wrong way to make this. Everything looked the same at the beginning, though I admit I’ve never measured my milk, just eyeballed it, but the amount of milk in ratio to the eggs was less than I usually add. I’ve also never included mustard powder in my omelets, so I was intrigued to see if I could build a better omelet with this recipe. I made the egg mixture as stated and added it to the prepared pan. I pushed the egg from the sides and opted to leave the omelet flat and finish it under the broiler. (Just make sure your pan can go in the oven, i.e. no plastic or covered handles.) I folded it over after it was done setting in the middle then slid it onto a plate. The omelet tasted wonderful. I liked the addition of the mustard and parsley, and mixing the filling with the eggs was genius. Not only does every bite taste like the filling, but the cheese is warmed enough to get gooey, and if you have a particular texture preference—like your eggs have to be cooked all the way through—the broiler method takes care of that for you.

This ham and cheese omelet was the perfect use of post-holiday ham! I couldn’t wait to make this after Christmas. It couldn’t be easier to make. Cheddar is good, but I also made this with some leftover goat cheese I had from Christmas appetizers, which worked great too. I like the addition of parsley in this recipe. I will say that I think that the pan you use for an omelet makes all the difference. I know that if you use enough butter it shouldn’t stick, but a good nonstick pan adds a bit of insurance to any omelet-making endeavor. I’m always looking for new ways to reinvent post-holiday items, and this dish did not disappoint. Adding some biscuits (like I did!) makes for a great breakfast or any meal, for that matter. The amount of time it takes really depends on how quickly you cut up the parsley, chop the ham, shred the cheese, etc.

Nothing like a fast and easy ham and cheese omelet recipe for brunch the day after cooking a big ham. I would say I needed about 3 minutes each side. I used a nice extra-sharp Wisconsin cheddar that I cubed into small pieces. By the time the omelet was done, I had a few hungry people in the kitchen, so I started making a second batch right away. This time I did half of it on the stovetop and the other half under the broiler. Both were great, but it seemed like the broiler one was less dry over time. The proportions are perfect in this recipe, so you can easily switch out certain ingredients for what you have at home. No Cheddar? Try mozzarella. Or cilantro instead of parsley and leftover chicken or steak instead of ham.