Frittata and Egg Bakes
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1
Chapter 8 · Frittata and Egg Bakes
Skill goal
Make a frittata and egg bakes that feed several people, keep well and use up what's in the fridge.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A frittata is an omelette that stopped worrying: a thick, flat Italian-style egg dish that you start in a pan and finish in the oven or under the grill, and cut into wedges. There is no folding, no flipping and no rush. It is the best way to feed several people from a few eggs and use up leftovers.
- Ratio: about 1 egg per 20 g of cooked filling per person is a good guide. For a 20 cm pan, 6 eggs and about 200 g of filling give a frittata about 3 cm thick.
- Pan: an ovenproof non-stick frying pan, 20 to 24 cm. Check the handle can take the oven (plastic handles can't). If not, wrap a plastic handle in foil, or use the grill instead.
- Cook the filling first until it has lost its water, so the frittata sets firmly and doesn't weep.
- Gentle heat: cook the base over low-medium heat until the edges are set (about 5 minutes), then finish the top in the oven at 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6) for 8 to 10 minutes, or under a medium grill for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Done when: it is set and slightly puffed, with a barely perceptible wobble in the very middle. A knife in the centre comes out clean.
- Rest 5 minutes before cutting. It is excellent warm, at room temperature or cold.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Basic cheese and onion frittata
Learn the stovetop-to-oven method with just onion and cheese.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 6 medium eggs
- 40 g mature Cheddar, grated
- 2 tbsp milk
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Heat the oil in a 20 cm ovenproof non-stick frying pan over medium-low. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and golden.
- Beat the eggs with the milk, most of the cheese, salt and pepper.
- Pour the eggs over the onion. Cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes without stirring, until the edges are set.
- Scatter the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed and set.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then slide onto a board and cut into wedges.
Level 2 · Next step
Pepper and feta frittata
More flavour, same method. Adding a salty cheese at the end keeps the egg tender.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 red or yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 6 medium eggs
- 50 g feta, crumbled
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or oregano
- Pinch of pepper (feta is salty, so taste first)
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Cook the onion and pepper in the oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Beat the eggs with the herbs and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and cook on low-medium for 5 minutes until the edges set.
- Scatter on the feta and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes and cut.
Level 2 · Oven only
Crustless quiche-style slice
Like a quiche without the pastry: milk makes the filling softer and more custardy than a frittata. Baked entirely in the oven in a dish.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 tsp oil or butter, for greasing
- 150 g cooked vegetables or ham (for example broccoli florets, or ham and sweetcorn)
- 40 g grated Cheddar
- 5 medium eggs
- 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
- Pinch of salt, pepper and mustard powder
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Grease a 20 cm pie dish or square ovenproof dish.
- Spread the vegetables or ham in the dish and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and seasoning together and pour over.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and just set in the middle (a knife in the centre comes out clean).
- Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into squares. It's good hot, warm or cold.
Make it a meal
Serve with a green salad and a spoonful of tomato relish. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Level 3 · Batch
Mini egg muffins for the week
Frittata mixture baked in a muffin tin: grab-and-go breakfasts or lunchbox protein. The best make-ahead egg recipe in the course.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- A little oil, for greasing the tin
- 8 medium eggs
- 60 g finely chopped ham or cooked bacon (optional)
- 60 g chopped peppers or spinach
- 40 g grated Cheddar
- 2 tbsp milk
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Grease a 12-hole muffin tin well (silicone or non-stick helps), or line 8 holes with paper cases.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and seasoning in a jug.
- Divide the ham, vegetables and cheese between 8 holes. Pour in the egg about three-quarters of the way up each.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until puffed, golden and set in the middle.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift out. Cool fully before storing.
Storing and reheating
Chill within 2 hours and eat within 3 days. They freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave from chilled for 30 to 40 seconds, or from frozen for 1 minute 30 seconds, until steaming hot. Reheat only once.
Experiments
Experiment
Stove only vs stove and oven
Is the oven worth it?
- Make half the frittata mix in a small pan on the stove only, with a lid on for the last 5 minutes.
- Make the other half the standard way, finished in the oven.
- Compare the tops and the textures.
Look for: The oven gives an even, puffed top. The lidded pan is quicker but the base browns more.
Experiment
How much filling?
Find out how much filling your pan can take.
- Make three small frittatas (3 eggs each) with 50 g, 100 g and 200 g of vegetables.
- Cut each and compare the texture.
Look for: Too much filling falls apart when sliced and too little is just a thick omelette. Find your ratio.
Experiment
Hot, warm or cold
Frittata is meant to be eaten at any temperature. Do you agree?
- Taste a slice straight out of the oven, one after 30 minutes at room temperature, and one chilled for 2 hours.
Look for: The flavour is stronger at room temperature and the texture is firmer when cold. Which would you put in a lunchbox?
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or filling | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese and onion frittata | ||||
| Pepper and feta frittata | ||||
| Crustless quiche slice | ||||
| Mini egg muffins | ||||
| Stove only vs oven | ||||
| Hot / warm / cold |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Watery frittata | Wet vegetables not cooked down | Cook the filling until it's dry before adding the egg |
| Raw in the middle, brown outside | Heat too high on the stove | Use low-medium heat and finish in the oven |
| Rubbery and tough | Overbaked | Take it out when the centre has a barely perceptible wobble |
| Sticks to the pan | Not enough fat, or the pan is scratched | Use a good non-stick pan and enough oil. Loosen the edges with a spatula |
| Soggy bottom in the quiche slice | Wet filling | Pre-cook and drain the filling, and use a metal dish |
| Muffins stuck in the tin | Not greased | Use silicone or paper cases |
Food safety: egg bakes
Egg bakes should be cooked until set right through, with no liquid egg. Keep them in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 3 days. If you take a cold frittata to work, keep it in a cool bag with an ice pack.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a frittata that is set and not rubbery.
- I cook my fillings first so they don't make the egg watery.
- I can use a muffin tin to make egg bakes for the week.
- I know how long egg bakes keep, and how to reheat them.
- I can use up leftover vegetables in a frittata.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1, chapter 9 is Putting It Together: timing a cooked breakfast, a brunch plate and an egg lunch box, plus your skills checklist and what comes next.