Potato And Caramelized Onion Frittata

This is another of those easy dishes using simple, real ingredients that has become a regular part of my meal planning repertoire.

For my meat-loving family, I need to find meatless dishes that are substantial enough to help them get over the fact that it's -sshh- vegetarian. Since I know that meat is usually the most expensive ingredient in our meals, having one or two meatless meals each week is part of my savings strategy (see other strategies here and here).

Start by cutting a couple of onions in half and then slicing the halves.

Don't waste sweet onions on this, cooking the onions 15-20 minutes makes the most pungent storage onions sweet and delicious. Gee, can you tell that caramelized onions are one of my favorite dishes? I could eat them all by myself, they are that good.

Come to think of it, I probably have eaten them all (over the course of a couple of days, though), because- you guessed it- my kids won't eat them.

Ha! Ha! More for me, I say (*evil cackle*).

Back to the onions, cook them for about 20 minutes over medium heat with a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil, stirring well.




While the onions are cooking, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and microwave them for about 3-5 minutes, stirring a couple of times until tender

By the way, this is a great recipe to use up leftover roasted potatoes, which I actually prefer, but I used up all my leftovers in the Dijon Chicken Stew we had last week.

This is a total rabbit trail, but how do people have "leftover nights" on their menus weekly? I barely have enough left overs for lunches and if I want certain things (like rice) I have to plan to make too much. And I think I make a lot of food.

Just been wonderin'...




Back to the recipe: whisk 10 eggs together with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Set aside.




When the potatoes are tender, transfer them to a pan (I always use a non-stick pan so I can remove the frittata easily at the end) heated with a tablespoon of olive oil and cook about 10 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally.

Add a minced clove of garlic the last few minutes of cooking and stir into the potatoes.




If your pan does not have an oven-proof handle, just wrap it with a piece of aluminum foil.

Voila! Oven-proof (and using our "making-do" cottage mentality!).




Pour the egg over the cooking potatoes.

Start the broiler preheating.




Cook about a minute until you see the edges start to set. Using a spatula, loosen the edges and tilt the pan so that the raw egg flows to the edges to cook.

I always loosen the center of the egg and let the raw egg flow under there, too (one too many uncooked centers for me!).

When most of the egg is cooked, place under the broiler for a minute until brown and slightly puffed.




Pull the pan out from the broiler and sprinkle feta cheese over the top (Gorgonzola, Parmesan, or jack all work, too and add different flavors).

Put pan back under the broiler for another minute, until cheese melts.




Meanwhile, finish the onions by adding a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and stirring well.




Top each serving with some of the onions.

I like to remove the frittata from the pan and put it on a large serving plate, but it can easily be served from the pan, too.


Potato And Caramelized Onion Frittata

For the onions:

• 2 large yellow onions, sliced
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1 Tb. butter
• 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar

For the frittata:

• 1 lb. potatoes, (preferably Yukon or red), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 c. cheese (feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, etc.)

1. Start the onions by heating the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring for 15-20 minutes until very soft and golden. Stir in the vinegar and keep warm.
2. Precook the potatoes by placing, single layer, in a microwavable pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring part-way through, until almost tender.
3. In a large (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Spread the potatoes as evenly as possible in the skillet.
4. Position the broiler rack about 6 inches from the element and preheat the broiler.
5. In a 4-cup measure, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Pour over the potatoes and reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Using a rubber spatula, lift up the cooked edges and tilt the skillet to allow the uncooked eggs to run underneath. Continue cooking, occasionally lifting the frittata and tilting the skillet until the top is almost set (about 5 minutes).
7. Place under broiler for about 1 minute, sprinkle with cheese and replace under broiler for another minute until melted.
8. Serve topped with the onions.

Makes 6 servings

-Jami