Easy Vegetable Frittata Recipe for One
This single-serving Frittata recipe is easy and oh so customizable. Use your favorite veggies, add cheese and create your own signature perfect Frittata. My favorite cheeses to cook with eggs is without a doubt Gruyere or a nice Brie. So delicious!
Have some leftover veggies, try this tomato quiche for one or an individual olive and cheese quiche.
What make this recipe work
- A Frittata made with fresh vegetables is quick, easy, and simple to cook any night of the week.
- It’s a great way use leftover veggies and potatoes from the previous nights dinner.
- You can make a Frittata as hearty or light as you want. Mix in some fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes.
- Similar to crustless quiche.
Frittata Cooking Tips
- Before adding the eggs to ingredients like sauteed spinach first squeeze out the excess moisture.
- Spread your veggies evenly throughout the pan before pouring in the eggs. At most you want o give the pan a little shake to even out the vegetable and egg mixture so it cooks evenly.
- A small 6.5 inch cast-iron skillet is perfect for making a small frittata for one, the skillet can go straight from stove top to oven. Cast iron skillet retain heat so be very careful when transferring to and from the oven. I recommend a silicone handle for your cast iron skillet and make sure it fits properly so it doesn’t slip off. Cast iron skillet are heavy, use the smallest skillet required for the recipe. This Frittata recipes is scaled for one servings and made in a small 6.5-inch Lodge skillet. For an even smaller serving cut the recipe in half and cook in the smaller 4-inch cast iron skillets.
- No cast iron skillet, no problem, you use a dutch oven or even a baking dish!
- You can eliminate the butter and increase the olive oil with good results.
Some Great Flavor Combinations
- Broccoli, Spinach, and Garlic
- Artichoke and Spinach
- Classic Mushroom and Tomato
- Red Peppers, Red Onions, Zucchini, and top with fresh Avocado
- Olive and Gruyere Cheese. (check out my olive quiche recipe)
How to know when the eggs are fully cooked?
For safety eggs should be cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The simplest way to check is use an instant read thermometer. I love my Thermopop instant Read Thermometer.
What to do with leftover Frittata?
After the Frittata has cooled to room temperature,cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours for best flavor and texture.
When I have leftovers I have a Frittata sandwich the next day. Slice open a fresh crusty croissant and spread just a hint of jam on the inside, then place a slice of the leftover Frittata in the middle. The best easy breakfast sandwich, ever!
Step by Step Instructions
The recipe card also includes a slide show video of the instructions.
In a medium bowl or measuring cup whisk the eggs and the sour cream until mixed well.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat .Melt the butter in the skillet and saute the onions and garlic until tender and fragrant about 2 minutes.
Add the carrots and zucchini and saute for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add the red pepper slices and broccoli florets and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Pour the eggs into the skillet and give the mixture a light stir or shake the pan just enough to mix the ingredients.Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
Cover the skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes or until set.Transfer the skillet to under the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes, just enough to lightly brown the top of the Frittata.
Remove from under the broiler and let sit for a couple minutes before serving.
If you are a fan of Frittata’s you might enjoy my gruyere and olive quiche.
To start, this quiche recipe and my frittata recipe have similarities, however, they are not the same thing. Although they are both egg-based, there are a few subtle things that make a frittata different from quiche and it’s not just that one has a crust and the other doesn’t.
What is a Quiche?
A quiche is a creamy rich combination of eggs, cream, sometimes cheese and can have added ingredients like vegetables or meats like bacon or ham. A Quiche is also baked in a pastry shell, either a puff pastry which is my favorite, or more traditionally in a pie crust.
Quiches are usually baked in quiche or tart pans with a removable bottom, or pie pans.
When I think of Quiche I think of french dish like Quiche Lorraine or my lovely Olive Quiche recipe.
What is a Frittata?
A Frittata is also made using eggs, cream, and various meats, vegetables, and cheeses. This delicious breakfast is typically cooked in a skillet and has more of an omelet texture.
The definition of a frittata is: Italian omelet with diced vegetables and meats; cooked until bottom is set then inverted into another pan to cook the top. Or, an unfolded omelet often containing chopped vegetables or meats.
I never invert my frittata but instead cover the pan and cook until set then lightly brown under the broiler.
This vegetable frittata is my go to recipe for quiche light summer meal.
The difference between a quiche and a frittata
The three main differences are crust, egg to dairy ratio and the cooking method.
The Crust
A quiche is an egg custard baked slowly in a pie crust or puff pastry while a frittata is made without a crust. Because a quiche has a crust it can handle more cream or milk resulting in a creamier filling with a custard like consistency.
The Egg-to-Dairy Ratio
Quiches are usually are made with more dairy than frittatas. Most quiche recipes call for about ½ cup dairy to every large egg that is used. A quiche is an egg custard.
Frittatas on the other hand are made with less dairy, usually less than half of that in a quiche. Sometimes yogurt or sour cream is used and this results in a denser texture.
The Cooking Method
A frittata is cooked on the stove top, traditionally in a skillet. You whisk the ingredients and pour it into a skillet. Let it set as it cooks, and viola breakfast is served. Best served at or near room temperature.
A quiche is cooked in an oven usually in a pan with a removable bottom or a pie pan.
Both quiche and frittata are easy to make, with quiche have one extra step in preparing the crust.
What to serve with quiche or frittata?
- Salad – a simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette is a classic side dish served with quiche.
- Soup – Tomato soup compliments quiche especially when served as an afternoon or evening meal.
- Fresh bread – go minimalist and serve a hunk of fresh bread with butter.
- Fruit bowl – go healthy and serve fresh in-season fruit.
- Potatoes – I like roasted red potatoes with garlic glaze or for an old-fashioned flair go with fried potatoes.
Weekend Breakfast Ideas
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Cast Iron Skillet Vegetable Frittata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ carrot sliced very thin
- ¼ zucchini sliced thin
- ¼ red bell pepper seeded and sliced thin strips
- ¼ cup broccoli florets
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup whisk the eggs and the sour cream until mixed well.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat .Melt the butter in the skillet and saute the onions and garlic until tender and fragrant about 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and zucchini and saute for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender, Stir occasionally.
- Add the red pepper slices and broccoli florets and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the eggs into the skillet and give the mixture a light stir or shake the pan just enough to mix the ingredients.
- Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cover the skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes or until set.
- Transfer the skillet to under the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes, just enough to lightly brown the top of the Frittata.
- Remove from under the broiler and let sit for a couple minutes before serving.
Notes
-
- Before adding the eggs to ingredients like sauteed spinach first squeeze out the excess moisture.
-
- Spread your veggies evenly throughout the pan before pouring in the eggs. At most you want o give the pan a little shake to even out the vegetable and egg mixture so it cooks evenly.
-
- No cast iron skillet, no problem, you use a dutch oven or even a baking dish!
- Cook the vegetables before adding them to the eggs.
- For the creamiest frittata, use full-fat dairy. You can use milk, cream, or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. The fat adds richness and helps the frittata set properly.
- Whisk the eggs thoroughly with the dairy until the mixture is light and frothy. This incorporates air and makes for a lighter, more tender frittata.
- Before adding your eggs, preheat your cast-iron skillet with a bit of butter or oil. This will help create a non-stick surface and give your frittata a nice, golden crust.
- Cook the frittata on the stovetop until the edges start to set, then transfer to the oven to finish cooking. This method gives you a frittata that’s creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- Remember, the frittata will continue to cook a bit after you take it out of the oven due to the residual heat in the cast-iron skillet. To avoid a dry frittata, take it out of the oven when the middle is still slightly wobbly.
- Let your frittata rest for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven. This will make it easier to slice and serve.
