Breakfast for Dinner: Ham & Potato Frittata Recipe

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A frittata is a savory egg-based dish similar to an omelet. Unlike an omelet, which is cooked entirely on the stove top, a frittata is finished in the oven or under the broiler.

I like that they’re easier to make than omelets—since there’s no pesky scraping and folding—and that they look pretty on a plate. Not only that, but I can make one frittata that serves my whole family rather than making every person their own individual omelet.

They only drawback to frittatas I’ve found is that you need to use heavy pan that can go from the stovetop into the oven, and they tend to stick since you can’t put most nonstick pans into oven. Ok, I partially retract that—they won’t stick much on a cast-iron skillet, but the drawback to that is you can’t put cast-iron into the dishwasher.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t own any pans that can’t go in the dishwasher.

The solution? An easy oven-baked frittata that cooks in a normal 9” x 13” glass baking dish!

Here’s the original recipe I found here , and below is my adapted version. It takes about 15 minute to prep and 30 minutes to cook.

Breakfast Casserole: Ham & Potato Frittata Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 2 cups fresh hash brown potatoes (or one 20 oz. package, such as Reser’s Shredded Hash Browns)
• 8 eggs
• ½ cup milk or half-and-half or cream (whatever you have)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried thyme
• 1 – 2 cups shredded mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese

Preparation Instructions

Step 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat the baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Step 2) In one pan, cook the hash browns according to package directions (about 10 minutes).

Step 3) While the hash browns are cooking, beat the eggs, milk or cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and seasonings in a large bowl until blended. Also, microwave the diced ham 2-3 minutes or until hot.

Step 4) Add the hash browns and ham to a 9” x 13” glass baking dish and pour the egg mixture over the top.

Step 5) Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Sprinkle the mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese over the frittata and cook for 5 more minutes.

Slice the ham and potato frittata into squares and serve topped with salsa, such as Reser’s Restaurant Style Salsa. For breakfast or brunch, serve it with fruit salad, and for dinner, serve it with crusty bread and a green side salad.

Tips

If you can’t be bothered with the last step, then just add the cheese on the frittata as soon as you take it out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. It won’t be quite as melted, but it will still taste delicious.

Variations

If you have time, try adding some onion, sliced mushrooms, or diced red bell pepper to the frittata. To try this, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes while the hash browns are cooking; then, add them to the baking dish along with the ham and hash browns.

How about you—what ingredients do you like to add to frittatas? (Or omelets?) Let us know in the comments!

Posted by Lacey