Breakfast Frittata

Great things are often born out of necessity. That's how this frittata came to fruition. 

Actually, it all started with a Facebook post. That sounds kind of ominous, doesn't it? I don't mean it to be. We all have the same struggles to find something different and pleasing and fill-in-the-blank qualification here for dinner. I had eggs in abundance and settled on breakfast, but realized I had two potatoes left and only a few slices of bacon. That's why those items are IN the frittata and not served alongside, as it normally would. Also, I was seriously low on fresh veggies, so that played a significant role, too. This is real cooking, the unglamorous, in-the-trenches, day in and day out stuff, folks. The struggle is real.

The struggle for a decent photo is equally real. This one just didn't come out so well. 

The struggle may be real, but the end result, hopefully, is delicious. This one went over well; I just wished I had more bacon. Then again, in my house, no matter how much bacon I make, there doesn't typically seem to be enough. I served this with a simple green salad with a vinaigrette, with whatever random veggies I could put in it. I'm still buying organic grape tomatoes in the winter, because they are an easy veggie to put in my kids' lunches. I know, it's culinary farm-to-table sacrilege, but I never promised you I wouldn't eat tomatoes in winter. I just won't eat sad pink beefsteak ones of questionable origin. Nor should you! 

Breakfast Frittata

Ingredients 

• 2-3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced small
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 T. butter or other cooking oil of your choice 
• 4 slices of bacon (or more, if you've got it and want it)
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F.  Toss the diced potatoes with the olive oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are crispy. Set aside and turn the oven down to 350°. 

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan cook the bacon until it's crispy, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. 

While those two things are going, melt the butter or other cooking oil over medium-high heat in a 8 or 10-inch cast iron pan or other other oven-safe vessel. Saute the onion for about 5-7 minutes until it starts to caramelize.

Once the onions have begun to caramelize and smell delicious, get ready to add the eggs. Whisk together the eggs and milk—which you've generously salted and peppered—in a medium bowl and pour gently into the cast iron pan. Cook for about five minutes, until it starts to set a bit around the edges. If you're lucky, the potatoes are finished by now and so is the bacon. 

Add the cooked potatoes and crumble the bacon (or use kitchen shears to slice them into small pieces) right into the pan with the eggs, distributing them evenly. Turn down the heat a bit and let it cook for 5-10 minutes until the edges are set and the middle starts to look less jiggly. 

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the frittata becomes puffy and baked all the way through. It should take about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. 

Serves: Four hungry people, with some leftovers.