Most people who know our family very well know that my husband is really the chef of the family. Anyone who has experienced his impeccably grilled flank steak or dined on his most perfectly cook giant lobster tail (complete with garlic butter) will never forget that. I swoon to think of it. But I digress.
Because Handsome Hubby works so much, though, I end up doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to routine food prep in our house. Oh yeah, that and the fact that I don’t have a job.
I am a busy mom, though, and thus a big fan of the one-dish type meals. The slow cooker and I are on very close terms, if you know what I mean. Weekend breakfasts at our house used to be the sole domain of Handsome Hubby, but since he has been working so much I’ve been trying to pitch in and help out in that area a little. Last weekend I made up this little dish that I call…..
Rustic Cowboy Frittata
It is super easy, and, if you have an oven proof skillet, it truly is a one dish meal. I think you could easily customize this to suit your family’s tastes. I used:
Two medium baked potatoes, cold (I originally made this with leftover potatoes from the night before, but this time I just threw a couple in the oven last night while I waited for the pizza guy). What can I say – we live in Idaho. Potatoes are a required food source.
Six or eight green onions
A pound of bacon
Half each of a red, orange and yellow pepper
Four large mushrooms
Two cups of shredded cheese (I used the Mexican mix because that’s what I had)
About eight eggs
Give your bacon a rough chop and throw it in a pan. I used a cast iron skillet because I love the way it makes things nice and crispy. And it’s ovenproof.
While the bacon gets cooking in the pan, chop up the rest of the ingredients (except of course for the cheese and the eggs – but do I really have to say that?) I leave the skins on the potatoes and chop them in big chunks. You can say rustic or you can say lazy. Anyway….next you throw all that stuff in the pan with the bacon.
You can certainly drain part of the bacon grease if you want before you start to sauté up the rest of the ingredients, but I leave it in. I like the way it gives the dish a nice salty bacony flavor. And I believe it makes my coat shiny.
I let that cook, turning it over frequently, for about thirty minutes. Once everything is cooked through and caramelized together, I beat up my eggs and pour them over the top. You just want the ingredients to be sort of sitting in the eggs, not necessarily drowning in them. Think hot tub versus deep end of the swimming pool.
A picture here would have been very helpful. But I’m new at this. Sorry. Anyhow, after you pour the eggs in, sprinkle your cheese on top.
Bake the whole shebang for about thirty minutes at 350 degrees. This gives you time to wash up the cutting boards and clean up the muddy paw prints that the maniacal puppy inflicted on the hardwood floor, if required.
When it is done it should look something like this:
I let it cool on a trivet for ten minutes or so to really set up, and then cut it into pizza like wedges. Wait, I’m sensing a theme here.
I put a few chopped tomatoes on top because I like the fresh flavor with the salty sweetness from the onions and peppers and the bacon combination. Plus my kids love them.
This is a hearty filling dish that warms up beautifully in the microwave for lunch later in the day.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
Happy Saturday everyone.
A D H
Chronicles of a Desperate Horsewife 