Frittata Recipe: Create Your Own

For weeknight cooking, a frittata is tasty, relatively quick, and incredibly versatile. It can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold. Not only is it great for breakfast or brunch, but I also serve it with a tossed salad or soup for a satisfying lunch or supper.

But the greatest thing about a frittata is that you can customize it any way you like using your favorite ingredients. This tool makes it easy: you just select the meat, vegetables, cheese, herbs and spices you want to use, and the instructions are generated automatically.

If that weren't enough, a frittata is really easy to make—certainly easier than its French cousin, the omelet. There's no fussy folding of the eggs over the filling and no risk of the dish falling apart in the process. Still, a few tips will ensure that your frittatas are at their best:

• Make sure your pan is hot, but not too hot. Before you pour in the egg mixture, your pan should be warm enough to set the frittata on the bottom but not so hot that the bottom will brown too quickly and become tough. That's why I heat the oil gently over medium heat, and keep a close eye on the pan (you don't want the oil to start smoking.
• Skip the flip, finish in the oven. Some people cook frittatas entirely on the stovetop, flipping them halfway through cooking, but this can be tricky. Finishing your frittatas in the oven instead is foolproof and eliminates the risk factor. To promote faster and more even cooking, I start on the stovetop with the pan covered to help the eggs set, then I uncover it and transfer it to the the oven.