Cheesy Zucchini Frittata
As delicious as it is easy to make, this Cheesy Zucchini Frittata is so moist, so fluffy, so crazy tasty, it’s guaranteed to win you over, even if you’re not a fan of omelets!
Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of frittata there is out there… Not that I don’t like them, but they’re not something I’ll usually think of making, because I find they tend to be a tad complicated to put together and well, not so delicious tasting in the end. I think it’s mainly a texture thing, really. But this one? This one just totally won me over!
I came up with the recipe when I was totally uninspired, didn’t have much of anything left in the fridge save for 3 zucchinis (that definitely needed to be used up soon), a dozen eggs and a big block of sharp cheddar cheese. Oh, and a few mangoes, strawberries and apples too, but they didn’t incorporate all that well in the dish, so I opted to leave them out… My famous Zucchini Fritters came to mind and I almost elected to make a batch of these, but I wanted something a little more satiating, so I opted to make a Frittata instead.
Boy let me tell you, maybe I should procrastinate on grocery shopping more often, because this “forced” creation is probably one of my favorites in a long time! This Frittata is so incredibly moist and fluffy and melt in your mouth tender and CRAZY tasty! I was almost sad that I had to share it…
I was lucky enough to have one piece leftover, though, which I got to enjoy for breakfast the next morning; this allows me to say that this bad boy reheats superbly well (but is also delicious cold) and makes for a fantastic breakfast, lunch or light dinner!
I say you should totally try it, even if you’re not so big on omelets… I’ve no doubt that it’ll win you over!
The first thing you’re gonna want to do is preheat your oven AND cast iron skillet — the hot skillet will contribute in giving a beautiful golden “crust” to your frittata, and will also help it not stick to the pan. To do that, preheat your oven to 375°F and once it’s hot, place your well seasoned and oiled 10″ cast iron skillet on the center rack.
You can then move on to prepping your ingredients; In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chili pepper flakes (if using) and beat until slightly frothy.
Next, add the grated zucchini and cheese…
About that zucchini, it’s important that you squeeze out as much moisture as you can out of it. Do that that, place the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel or better yet, a nut bag, and squeeze the bejesus out of it, until no liquid comes out. Check out my Zucchini Fritters recipe for more detailed instructions and visual help, if you need to.
Stir the eggs, zucchini and cheese delicately until well combined.
Very carefully take your cast iron skillet out of the oven (handle with great care — it’ll be scorching hot!) and delicately pour the frittata mixture in it, then return the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until it’s almost set.
Take the frittata out of the oven… technically, you could serve it as is if you didn’t want to go through with the additional garnish, although you’d probably want to give it an extra 5 minutes in the oven, just to be sure it’s cooked all the way through.
If you’re gonna make it all pretty and garnish the top, though — which you honestly should, it’ll only take a few more minutes and will totally take your frittata to the next level — keep reading!
Arrange thin slices of zucchini on top of the frittata and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Set your oven to broil and leave the frittata under it for an extra 2-3 minutes if further browning of the cheese is desired.
Take your frittata out of the oven (for good this time!) and let it rest for about 5 minutes, then garnish with a little bit of freshly chopped parsley and ground black pepper, if desired.
Slice, and serve!
Cheesy Zucchini Frittata
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk, or non-dairy milk of your choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes, optional but strongly recommended
- 2 medium zucchinis, grated and squeezed dry*
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
!Optional Garnish
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
- chopped fresh parsley
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F; once hot, place a well seasoned and oiled 10" cast iron skillet on the center rack to preheat while you prep your ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chili pepper flakes (if using) and beat until slightly frothy. Add the grated zucchini and cheese and stir delicately until well combined.
- Carefully take your cast iron skillet out of the oven and pour the frittata mixture in it.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes (25 minutes if you're not going to garnish the top), then take the frittata out of the oven and arrange thin slices on top of the frittata and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Set the oven to broil and leave the frittata under it for 2-3 minutes if further browning of the cheese is desired.
- Remove the frittata from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes, then garnish with a little bit of freshly chopped parsley and ground black pepper, if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER for more delicious, healthy recipes!
5 Comments on “Cheesy Zucchini Frittata”
Thanks for the article post.Really thank you! Great.
Hi Sonia! I’ve noticed you’re expanding the foods you’re eating lately, or at least posting recipes with pasta, couscous, bread and non-paleo stuff. I’m fine with that!!!!! I was just wondering if you’d ever do a post about how you feel overall and during workouts on a strict paleo or whole 30 diet vs. with non-paleo yet still HEALTHY ( you are the healthy foodie, after all) food plan, and what led to decide either way. I’m curious! Love your recipes always! So many in the regular rotation. We’d starve without you. Thanks! Dana
This can also help you to loss belly fat
This is incredible! I just released my own cookbook and seriously, if the inner PDF was not done, I would be asking you for permission to put this in my cookbook (Eat Hot, Look Hot: The Starter Cookbook.)
But- this is too good not to publicize so please let me know if I can send it out in my newsletter (and tell my audience how to connect with you!) or put it into my next book in the series. Reach me at info@EatHotLookHotDiet.com
Many thanks for this super-star recipe. The chili pepper flakes is what is shown in studies to lead to fast, easy weight loss (from the capsaicin in it.)
Delicious!