Bacon, Mushroom and Zucchini Frittata

Frittatas are just about the easiest thing to make with eggs.  When you have company, a nice frittata — hot from the oven — is an ideal egg dish to make for a crowd; it’s certainly more efficient than scrambling eggs, or worse, frying them up to order.  But with a small pan or miniature skillet such as the one I’ve used when cooking for just myself, this is a dish that can be pared down to serve one without suffering in the slightest.  This particular combination was inspired by a favorite item on the breakfast menu of the Walnut Avenue Cafe in Santa Cruz, about which you can read here in this article from The Tomboy’s Guide to California, part one in a three-part series detailing all my favorite things and places in the town where I’ve spent so much time, first as a day-tripper with my family growing up and then as a college student.  That scramble introduced me to the idea of using zucchini in breakfast eggs, which, frankly, sounded really weird to me at first.  But sliced thinly, the squash is tender and delicious and doesn’t dominate this dish.  I’ve added Yukon Gold potatoes to make this even heartier, but you can really make a frittata using anything you’ve got in your fridge.

And don’t feel bound by convention here, either, in relegating egg dishes like the frittata to breakfast or brunch only.  This substantial little skillet full can make for an excellent working girl’s supper.  With a salad of mixed greens, lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper on the side, it makes for a positively European meal in the evening hours.

If you can’t get to the Cafe that inspired this combination, this is the next best thing.  So it’s time to get in the kitchen and git crackin’… eggs, that is.

 

Bacon, Mushroom and Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients

8 eggs

2 medium sized zucchini, sliced very thinly

5 pieces thick-sliced bacon

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/2 lb sliced Crimini mushrooms

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (or red potatoes), cut into 1/2” cubes

1/2 cup sliced fresh tomatoes, halved grape or cherry tomatoes work well

1/2 cup half and half

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Whisk together the eggs, half and half, scallions, salt and pepper and set the mixture aside.  In an oven safe 10” heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and it is crispy.  Remove it with a slatted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Remove all but a tablespoon of the fat from the bottom of the pan (but always reserve your bacon fat!  That’s gold in the kitchen.)  Add the cubed potatoes to the pan and cook, 5-8 minutes, until the sides of the potatoes are beginning to turn golden brown.  Add the mushrooms and stir, allowing them to cook for several minutes.  Turn the heat down to low and add the zucchini, stirring it gently so that it becomes tender but doesn’t brown.  Add the egg mixture and transfer the pan to the oven.  Allow it to cook 20 minutes before sprinkling the cheese on top.  Allow it to bake 10 minutes more, until the cheese has melted.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This recipe serves four, so to make a single serving, divide all ingredients by four and use a miniature 6” skillet, available at most hardware stores.