Favorite Quick Things to Make for Dinner that Make Me Look Like I Have it All Together When My Honey Walks Through That Door

One of my personal favorites is Frittata. And now that three family members are out for the evening, two boys safely in the bathtub, and a messy kitchen counter successfully being ignored, I will tell you about it. I used to read about frittatas in cookbooks and get nervous. “A crustless quiche” they’d say, and that didn’t sound very fun, because the crust was my favorite part of the quiche. What they didn’t stress was that without a crust, it means that you don’t have to roll out a crust, and the whole thing can be put together lickety split. One wild night though, the frozen crust wasn’t in the freezer where I had left it, and with 30 minutes ‘til showtime, I had to make a fast decision and gave the frittata a try. I LOVED IT! We all thought it was delicious (even the kids). It was hearty enough for the husband, and I grew especially fond because I could 1) cook it all in one pan 2) not measure 3) use up the random leftovers found on the refrigerator dive, 4) get dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.

For example, leek, ham and gruyere cheese makes a fabulous frittata combination and I’ll put that in the recipe below, but tonight what I fished out of the fridge, and subsequently put in the frittata was: a few slices of ham, chopped up, some oven fried potatoes and green peas that were in the same leftover container, about a tablespoon of goat cheese, a handful of already grated cheddar cheese left from lunch. I also added some chopped fresh oregano from the indoor pot my sweet friend brought me. It was great! and filling! and cheap! and fast! and easy! And, I might add, naturally gluten free.

The Frittata

What you need:

cast iron pan

1 T. of butter

leek or onion, chopped

3-4 slices of ham, cut into squares

4-5 eggs

milk

salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400*F. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add a few tablespoons of milk and salt and pepper. Heat the cast iron pan over medium high heat and melt the butter. Brown the leeks or onions for a few minutes until they are getting tender, then add the ham and brown that too for a couple minutes. Pour in the egg mixture, turn off the stove and sprinkle the cheese on top. Pop in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until it is firm. This gives you time to set the table and clean up the kitchen a little, or go read your friend’s blog!

What are your favorite fast dinners?