food
By Taryn Pire
•
Published Mar 4, 2022
Quick, you’re making breakfast for a crowd—what do you prepare? You could fry two eggs per person…but that will take a while, and you’ll still have to cook up some hearty sides to make it a real meal. Same goes for waffles and pancakes. If you ask us, a frittata—an Italian egg dish that can be filled with veggies, cheese or meat, like an omelet—is the best way to satiate the morning masses. It cooks in a single skillet and usually comes together in the oven, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to set the table and work on the ever-important mimosa pitcher. Best of all, they’re so filling that all they need is a side of greens, potatoes or fruit. Read on for 20 of our favorite frittata recipes, from Gwyneth Paltrow’s five-ingredient number to one that uses last night’s leftover meatballs.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Frittata
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, low carb, keto-friendly, crowd-pleaser
All it takes to make this veggie-rich beauty is combining all the ingredients and letting the Crockpot work its magic. Serve it alongside Greek salad.
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Gentl and Hyers/Open Kitchen
2. Squash And Squash Blossom Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, low carb, keto-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Isn’t she lovely? Don’t sweat it if you can’t find pretty squash blossoms to crown the frittata with—they don’t offer much in the flavor department (but they sure are pretty).
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The Clean Plate
3. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Easy Frittata
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, low carb, keto-friendly, low sugar
An unexpected veggie scrap takes the stage in this five-ingredient wonder: chopped beet greens.
Get the recipe
Secrets of Great Second Meals
4. Mozzarella Meatball Frittata
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, low carb, keto-friendly, high protein
Your spaghetti night leftovers deserve a second life. Feel free to drizzle each slice with tomato sauce.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
5. Onion And Arugula Frittata
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, one pan
The onions are caramelized on the stovetop before they’re doused with egg and goat cheese and popped in the oven to set.
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Gemma Ogston/The Self-Care Cookbook
6. Vegan Quinoa Breakfast Frittata
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, Mediterranean diet-friendly, gluten free
This plant-based gem is beyond satisfying, even without the eggs. Chalk it up to hearty quinoa and a generous amount of greens.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
7. Mini Spanish Tortilla With Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, high protein, gluten free
What’s the difference between a tortilla and a frittata, you ask? Tortillas are thicker and contain lots of thin-sliced potato, while frittatas are on the thinner, dryer side and don’t require potato.
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Digital Art by Sofia Kraushaar
8. Leftovers Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, gluten free
Face it: You’re overdue for a fridge clean-out. This recipe makes it easy to transform any leftover protein, near-rotten vegetables and neglected cheese you’ve forgotten about.
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9. Cheese And Herb Frittata
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, one pan
Full-fat dairy is the secret to this frittata’s fluffy, creamy texture. Choose from milk, heavy cream, sour cream, crème fraiche or yogurt.
10. Bacon Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
This pick can cook entirely on the stovetop in case you don’t want to fuss with the oven. Want to sub the spinach? Use baby kale or even shredded Brussels sprouts (since they’re bacon’s BFF).
11. Loaded Baked Potato Frittata
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
Spuds, cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream—the gang’s all here. We’d smother your plate in scallions and hot sauce if we were you.
12. Zucchini, Ricotta And Herb Frittata With Prosciutto
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Hosting Sunday brunch? Make this savory main ahead and serve it at room temperature, as they do in European wine bars.
13. Egg White Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, low sugar
Save on calories and cholesterol by nixing the egg yolks. Finish the frittata with sliced avocado to keep it just as filling.
14. Bacon And Veggie Frittata
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
It’s soft, custardy and positively bursting with two types of cheese. The veggies (sweet potatoes! broccoli! bell peppers!) are cooked in bacon fat for extra flavor.
15. Oven-baked Vegetable Frittata
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, Mediterranean diet-friendly
Ricotta cheese and heavy cream are whisked into the custard filling to make it as creamy and decadent as possible. (And that’s before the grated mozzarella hits the skillet.)
16. Easy Parmesan Pasta Frittata With Spring Greens
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Aka the most impressive way to repurpose leftover ziti, rigatoni, cavatappi or even elbow macaroni. Heck, white rice is a great substitute, too.
17. Easy Egg-free Frittata
- Time Commitment: 7 hours
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, gluten free, low sugar
The base is made from split mung beans, coconut milk, chickpea flour and spices. Use canned mung beans to save yourself hours of soaking time.
18. Hash Brown Frittata
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, low sugar, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
No leftover potatoes? No problem. Shredded hash browns are a stellar shortcut.
19. Spanish Tortilla With Burrata And Herbs
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Any breakfast topped with a gooey mountain of molten cheese is our kind of breakfast. Skip the prosciutto topper if you have vegetarians on the guest list.
20. Keto Vegetable Frittata
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, low carb, keto-friendly, gluten free
The recipe already calls for mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini, but you can make it even more nutritious by adding your favorite greens and diced avocado.
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For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
Taryn Pire
Food Editor
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...
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