Broccolini and Potato Frittata

Simple and easy, this frittata can serve you, your family or friends for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. The potatoes make the dish hearty without being heavy. I might just have to make this frittata a couple of times a month, because it’s so nice to have something so easy to grab, plate, microwave and eat for any meal. As a note, because the pan is going under the broiler, you can be a little lax in cooking until set on the stovetop. I moved the pan under the broiler when the outside was just set, but the center still needed some time. The pan was under the broiler for five to six minutes to brown, and the center cooked through beautifully. This helped prevent excessively browning the underside on the stovetop.

This makes a very substantial meal and serves about six. You do need a large frying pan, as there are quite a lot of vegetables. I would cut the broccolini into smaller pieces (this will make serving a bit easier). Next time, I would season the potatoes while they are cooking or after they have absorbed all the stock. The potatoes in the finished product were a little bland. I would definitely make this again.

This is a simple and delicious frittata. What stands out is the way the potatoes are cooked. Simmering them in broth is a great tip! I will say though, if you have any worries that your pan isn’t big enough, it probably isn’t. I used a 10-inch skillet, and having a larger skillet would make it so much easier to get the broccolini and onions tossed in with the potatoes. Instead of lowering the heat to medium when you pour in the eggs, lower it when you add the vegetables and lower it a bit again when the eggs are added. The bottom of my frittata got a little too brown, and the eggs got a little tough for my liking.

This frittata made a nice accompaniment to a bowl of beef vegetable soup on a fall Sunday. It’s a perfect “supper dish” but would also be good for brunch. It looked like there was too much food in the pan as this was cooking, so I was surprised at how well it came out. The onion cooked through fairly well, while the broccolini kept some vibrant green. I used the pan I typically use for frittatas, and it was pretty crowded with all the ingredients. Cutting the broccolini in half was not too easy, given how slender the stalks are and the number of little branches they have. I’m not sure these really need to be cut in half. A few cautionary notes: The potatoes go from “still plenty of water left” to “all of the water has burned off” very quickly, so keep a close eye on the pan. The next time I would go to the shortest time for the eggs to set (eight minutes) — or even slightly less — rather than figuring it would be eight to 10 minutes. Between the stovetop cooking and the short time under the broiler, the frittata dried out somewhat.

Very easy recipe using things most might have on hand in their kitchens — maybe not broccolini, but it would be easy to use something else in its place.

The recipe works very well, although I like to add a little milk to frittatas to keep them moist. Also, the recipe says to use a large frying pan, which is a little vague, and could cause overcooking if it was too big — a 12-inch pan worked nicely. Also, non-stick is helpful — the only thing I use non-stick for is eggs, and if you use a ceramic based non-stick it works in the oven.

This frittata was perfect for a busy weeknight. It was easy to make, quick to cook and the flavors were simple, but enjoyable. My potatoes took about five minutes longer than the recipe stated to soften and absorb most of the stock. I had some doubts about whether there was enough egg as I poured it into the pan, which was filled to the brim with broccolini and potato. As the egg cooked, though, it puffed up around the vegetables nearly covering them completely, but allowing the bright green of the broccolini to peek through the egg in a few places. Adding the cheese and then broiling it gave the frittata a pretty browned look and added just the right amount of cheesiness to the flavor of the eggs and vegetables. We ate the frittata with some crusty bread for a light dinner.

I had always used precooked potatoes in the frittatas I made and wondered how it would work cooking them in the same skillet as the eggs. But this is from a one-pot cookbook, so I forged ahead. I used chicken broth which left a bit of residue in the bottom of the pan and I was not optimistic about the ease of removing the frittata. The potatoes were cooked by the specified time. I added the oil, onion and broccoli (no broccolini available in these parts), cooked as directed, and added the egg/cheese mixture. In about 10 minutes, the eggs were set (note: I did halve the recipe). After running under the broiler with the remaining cheese, I was ready to fight for removal of a nice slice of frittata. It came out perfectly! I did use a nonstick skillet, and I don’t know that using stock greatly enhances the flavor of the frittata. Now that I don’t need to have precooked potatoes on hand I will use this method to whip up a quick and delicious supper with whatever ingredients I have on hand.

Very easy frittata. So much flavor comes from using the vegetable or chicken broth. Since most of the cooking is done on top of the stove, the cook should be warned to leave the frittata alone and let it rise and set. Cover it and leave it alone. I would suggest using red onion. That much yellow onion could overwhelm the dish.