What to cook when you have a lot of leftover vegetables in your fridge? One idea is to make a frittata and in particular, a spinach, mushroom, feta and tomato frittata. It’s that perfect brunch or lunch recipe that is fast, delicious and easy on the budget.
What is a frittata?
A frittata is a quiche without the crust. Or, an Italian version of an open-faced omelet that is partially cooked in an oven-proof skillet like cast-iron. It’s also a fantastic way to use up your vegetables that are close to its expiration date.
Recipe notes
I’ve tried different frittata recipes including this one from Kitchn which inspired this version. The best ones that work for me are the ones cooking everything in the pan and then adding the egg mixture at the end before putting it in the oven. It’s also the easiest which is always a winner in my book. 😉
Since I like my frittata to be taller in height, I prefer to use a smaller 10″ skillet. If you have a larger pan like a 12″ – that works- but know that it’ll yield a thinner “pie” in the end. Plus, you’ll need less time in the oven. Cast-iron is recommended since it’ll less likely to stick to the pan but you might want to use a little more oil if you’re using stainless steel.
There’s nothing more exhausting than thinking about what to cook when you have a fridge full of food and not a lot of time. Luckily, frittatas are a great inexpensive way to whip up a delicious meal while utilizing a lot of leftover produce in the fridge. What I love about frittatas are that it’s so flexible that the combinations are virtually endless. It can easily get out of control with the ingredient mix so keep it simple or think of it in terms of themes like this Greek-inspired spinach, mushroom, feta and tomato frittata. This recipe is one of my favs but, I must confess, I’m already thinking of my next frittata!
Do you have a favorite frittata combination? I’d love to hear in the comments below! Bon appétit!
Need a great side dish with your frittata? Try our herb salad.
Spinach, mushroom, feta, tomato Frittata
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs ($2.60)
- 5 cups baby spinach roughly chopped($2.50)
- 8 ounce crimini mushroom, sliced thin ($1.80)
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, cubed ($1.50)
- 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved ($0.55)
- Handful fresh chives, chopped ($0.00) from our garden
- Handful fresh parsley roughly chopped ($0.00) from our garden
- Handful fresh oregano, roughly chopped ($0.00) from our garden
- 1/2 cup milk (optional) ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.25)
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more for seasoning ($0.03)
- pinch pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients. Preheat oven to 400° F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, milk and ½ tsp salt. Set aside nearby.
- Heat a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and saute mushrooms until softened about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add spinach to pan and saute until wilted. Increase heat slightly to help evaporate extra liquid, if necessary.
- (If you increased heat, return to medium-high.) Slowly add egg mixture evenly to the pan, tilting slightly if needed.
- Sprinkle tomatoes, feta and herbs on top. Let cook for a few minutes until the sides are just about to set.
- Place skillet in middle of oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until center is cooked through. (You can cut a small slit in the middle to check for doneness. If egg mixture is raw or runny, cook for another minute or so. It will cook fast at this point so keep a close eye to avoid overcooking.) When it's ready, remove from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Slice in pieces and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
* Note regarding pricing: The herbs used in this recipe are from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for other items such as salt and pepper take into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. ** All prices in US dollars.