Greek Frittata

Frittatas are like the easier version of quiche. Just as much eggy goodness, no need to roll out pie dough. They make for a simple, quick dinner, and are perfect paired with a light green salad. You might be more familiar with the frittata’s role at the brunch table: I assure you, it plays well at any meal. What makes this such a stellar workhorse? You can do anything with a frittata. You can throw in whatever bits and pieces you have floating around in your refrigerator and chances are it will be delicious. Versatility is the name of the game.

I’ve had many good frittatas in my life, but this one stood out. Probably because I put a lot of cheese in it. Also caramelized onions. You can’t go wrong with cheese and caramelized onions.

I suppose a Greek person might roll her eyes at my nomenclature. What makes this frittata Greek, in my eyes? Feta cheese, red onions, lots of oregano. Spinach, for strength. And leftover steak, for good measure. This combination is special, and I recommend you not skimp on the feta. It adds such a wonderful salty bite. The steak could easily be left out. In fact, I don’t know that it really added anything too memorable to this, but I had it, floating around in the refrigerator, and I wanted to use it. It worked.

The basics of frittata making are simple. Just whisk together about five or six eggs with a splash of milk, and pour it over tasty ingredients in a skillet. You can cook it, covered, on the stove, or throw it in the oven. Some people get fancy and do a little flipping magic, but I don’t find that necessary. I think the whole thing gets wonderfully browned and beautiful on top without the flip.

Greek Frittata

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 a red onion, sliced thinly
• about 1/2 teaspoon salt
• about 1/2 cup chopped cooked steak (optional)
• 2 or 3 big handfuls of baby spinach
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 5 eggs
• about 1/2 cup whole milk
• about 1/4 cup minced oregano
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet. Add the onion slices and give the pan a good shake and stir, so the onions are well-coated. Add the salt, and let the onions cook over low heat until they are soft and golden brown. Just give them a stir every now and then; you can mostly leave them alone to cook.

After about 20 minutes, they should be nice and sweet and browned. Stir in the cooked steak, if you’re using, and cook it for a few minutes, just to warm it up a bit. Stir in the spinach and feta, and set aside.

Whisk the eggs, milk, and oregano until the eggs are thoroughly blended. Add another pinch of salt, and some pepper if you like, to the egg mixture. Put the cheese and onion skillet back over medium-low heat and pour the eggs over the mixture. It’s ok if some of the ingredients stick up over the egg mixture. The eggs will puff up as they cook.

Let the eggs cook for about 5 minutes on the stovetop before sprinkling the mozzarella on top. Slide the skillet into the oven, and let it cook for about another 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the frittata sit for about five minutes to settle before serving.