What's For Dinner: Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata

This Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata is a crowd-pleaser and perfect for sharing at a weekend brunch or summertime picnic. 

Our hens are laying eggs like whoa lately. As in more than a dozen a day. As in, I have a fridge full of eggs and plenty more waiting in queue on our countertop.

Basically, we need to eat a lot of eggs. Quiches and frittatas are an easy way to use up a bunch of eggs in one go, and make for easy-to-reheat leftovers. Plus, the flavor combinations are endless, which means we don't have to eat the same thing day in and day out. (Not that we eat quiche every day, but we probably do eat it at least once a week.)

This frittata recipe features diced cooked ham, broccoli, and cheddar cheese along with the aforementioned eggs. To make it slightly healthier, for about half of the eggs I just use egg whites. Our dogs get to snack on the extra yolks, or I'll pop them in the freezer for later use in a different recipe. (Custard, anyone?)

Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup small diced cooked ham
5 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dash of red pepper flakes
pinch ground oregano
1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar
Hungarian paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- or 10-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and mushrooms and saute until softened and the onion is golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped broccoli and continue cooking until the broccoli turns bright green and is just tender, about 2-3 minutes more.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, and milk. Stir in the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. 

4. Spread the cooked vegetables onto the bottom of the prepped pie dish. Then carefully pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture. Spread the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over top. Sprinkle with Hungarian paprika.

5. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the center of the frittata has just set. 

6. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.