Frittata Recipe for Two with 5 Variations

Making a frittata may seem intimidating but with this simple guide you can make a frittata recipe for two perfectly every time.  The perfect frittata is creamy, custardy and loaded with your favorite vegetables, fresh herbs, cheese and if you like, some sausage.  It’s delicious, simple and makes a great brunch or weeknight dinner!

A frittata is the other omelet cousin to the crust-less quiche.  The advantage of a frittata is it is best served at room temperature.  You can even cut into little squares and serve with drinks as An hors d'oeuvre appetizer or tapas (small dishes served with drinks)

Maybe the best part, it is that it is a welcoming home for leftover ingredients.  Yesterday, after making my slow-cooker pork carnitas I had just enough meat remaining to combine with other left overs like feta from this week’s salad, shallots from the shallot vinaigrette and part of a jalapeno from my guacamole, to whip together a Mexican-ish frittata.  Plus, the spring days are now longer so our chickens, Arie and Ruthie, are laying almost every day.  So, I have lots of eggs.

With a little planning, I could have made a variation, such those found in this post. 

Keep reading for tips and tricks to make a frittata recipe for two.

How to make a frittata for two

• Use the right pan. You’ll need a heavy, deep sided skillet approximately 8 inches, like a cast iron skillet, and a lid.

• Prep your vegetables.   A good rule of thumb is to finely chop most of your vegetables to avoid biting into one chunk of onion or red pepper.  The one vegetable I consider doing more of a rough chop on is asparagus, I like to see the tips of asparagus in my frittata.

• Start cooking on the stove top.  Pour olive oil in the skillet, just enough for a thin film to coat the bottom and warm it over medium heat. Add your vegetables (but hold back those like spinach that need minimal time to wilt until the rest are just about done), stirring them until they glisten in oil. Lower the heat and season with salt and pepper, slowly cooking until vegetables begin to soften.  It is okay if they are lightly golden.

• Cook meat of choice.  If adding sausage (or meat of your choice) to your frittata,add it to the skillet with the vegetables and cook until brown and no longer pink.  If using left-over carnitas meat, now is the time to add it to the vegetable mixture.   

• Build the Frittata.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk or cream, garlic, salt and pepper, then stir in the vegetable mixture.  Adding additional ground spices and fresh herbs.  Using a wooden spoon, create an even layer of meat and vegetables on bottom of skillet.  Make sure the skillet is hot, then pour in the egg mixture.  Immediately lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes, without stirring.  Cook on the stove top until the edges of the frittata are set without browning or adding color to the eggs.

• Finish baking in the oven.  Now, you can add a top layer of cheeses and additional herbs. Bake in the oven just until the center no longer jiggles and the edges are brown.  To test for doneness, gently insert a sharp knife into the center, if raw egg oozes out  cook for a few more minutes. When eggs are done, remove from oven and let set in pan on baking rack for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Remember eggs do continue to cook as they rest, so that is why we want to pull from the oven just as the center sets (no longer jiggles). So keep a watch on your frittata during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Frittata recipe variations

Have fun playing around with different ingredient combinations based on what you have on hand.  

A good rule of thumb for the right ratio of egg and dairy to veggies and meat when making a frittata for two:  For every six large eggs, you'll want to mix in ¼ cup of milk or cream, ¼ cup of cheese, and about 3 cups of meat or vegetables. The small amount of milk and cheese keeps the eggs soft and creamy and the meat and vegetables give you endless options.

Below are a few variations to get you started – Have fun!

1. Mexican Frittata (with left over pork carnitas meat)
2. Cherry tomatoes, onion and basil
3. Asparagus and Onion
4. Add Sausage to one of the variations above.
5. Change out or use a combination of cheeses.  A few of my favorite cheeses are melty cheeses like Monterey jack, mozzarella or a mild cheddar.  Combing cheeses like a melty cheese with a feta and parmesan adds just the right amount of sharp, salty, tangy and creamy taste to the frittata. 

4 Tips for making a frittata for two perfect every time

• Use the right pan.  You’ll need a deep skillet for your frittata.  I use a 8-inch cast iron skillet it’s perfect for two!  Make sure whatever you pan you use it’s well seasoned or greased creating a natural non-stick surface, so you can easily cut and serve the frittata directly from the pan.

• Keep it simple.  Too many ingredients will weigh down the frittata and make it difficult to evenly cook the egg custard.  For a 6-egg frittata use ¼ cup of milk, and no more than 3 cups of meat and vegetables.  I usually target a little over 2 cups.

• Watch the moisture of your frittata.  High-moisture ingredients, like zucchini can turn your frittata into a watery mess. When using zucchini, which contains 94% water, remember to sauté thoroughly prior to adding your eggs, thus evaporating excess moisture. If you’re using mozzarella cheese, opt for low-moisture variety rather than fresh mozzarella.

• Use a stove-top to oven method.  After cooking the vegetables we will pour the egg mixture into a hot, deep sided skillet.  Immediately turn down the heat to low.  Watch the frittata closely, we want to set the frittata edges on the stove top but not brown them, then finish the bulk of the baking in the oven.

Related

Looking for other breakfast or brunch recipes? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with a frittata: