Ratios matter
While you can make a frittata in anything that’s oven-safe—cast-iron skillet, frying pan, even a casserole dish with a lid—its size and depth will determine how many eggs you need, or the other way around. Using fewer eggs for a wider pan means a shallower frittata, which means a lower cooking time or a dried-out pancake. Too many, and you’ll end up with a dense brick. A standard 12-inch skillet takes about 12 eggs; an eight-inch, about six.
This also applies to the eggs-and-dairy ratio. Most recipes call for half a cup of dairy for every dozen eggs. Feel free to use cream, yogurt, whole milk, 2 percent, even evaporated milk—but the higher fat content, the better.
Leftovers? Fresh veggies? Make sure they’re fully cooked
With the exception of maybe fresh herbs, cheese, and some pre-cooked meats, most frittata fillings should be cooked through so that they have a nice texture when the dish is done—and more importantly, so that they don’t release extra water into the egg mixture while cooking.
That said, there are so many types of pre-cooked leftovers are perfect for frittatas beyond potatoes and grilled vegetables. Too-soft bell pepper? Leftover pasta? Throw the noodles in there. Cooked rice? Ditto. Cooked lentils, grains, beans (we know you’ve been cooking with them), leftover stew, the dregs of frozen vegetables that didn’t quite make it out of the bag: use them all.
Oven or stovetop frittata?
Some cooking methods have you cooking entirely on stovetop, flipping the frittata once the eggs are mostly cooked to crisp up both sides; others are an entirely oven-baked scenario. Both work fine, but my favourite is the traditional combination of the two, cooking the frittata partway on the stove until the edges have thickened, then popping it in the oven to finish. In all honesty, the best method here is what works best for you, whether the idea of preheating an oven feels like a step too far on a difficult evening or flipping an egg dish in a massive pan sounds like a nightmare.
Better to err on the side of undercooking
Whether you’re cooking the frittata by stovetop or oven, take it off the heat as soon as it seems set. If the pan you’re using holds heat well the eggs will continue to cook—and you can always put it back on the stove if you’ve really undershot it. The same can’t be said for an overcooked one.
Here are 9 frittata recipes to try for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner:
Ham And Cheese Frittata
This delicious frittata combines cheese, ham and diced veggies for a hot dish that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Get this ham and cheese frittata recipe.
Photography by Christie Vuong. Food styling by Eshun Mott. Prop styling by Christine Hanlon.
