On the heels of a long weekend, I'm still dreaming of Saturday's breakfast. It was inspired by a healthy pile of sungold tomatoes that were roasted on Friday evening. I woke up and could still detect the faint aroma of sweet roasted tomatoes and garlic. Certainly, something had to be done about that. And the something needed to involve bacon.
Thankfully, I had a lovely package of thick-cut peppered bacon in my refrigerator. Several slices were promptly chopped into bite-sized pieces and fried until crisp. The rendered fat was saved for roasting potatoes another time. Bacon fat does not get wasted in my nest! And I was rather pleased with myself, as Saturday was International Bacon Day. Then again, I thought every day was Bacon Day! ;-)
Some garden fresh peppers and onions were chopped and fried in a bit of the reserved bacon fat, the roasted tomatoes and crisp bacon were added, and a thick custard of eggs and cream was added to the skillet. Once the eggs were mostly set, a generous sprinkling of grated sharp cheddar was added and the skillet found its way under the broiler. I like using low broil for egg and cheese dishes, but if you don't have that option, simply set the skillet on the second highest rack setting in the oven.
The result of my efforts was a rich, beautifully flavored frittata that was more than enough to fuel us for the day. Just a cup or two of coffee alongside and we were set. Aren't weekend breakfasts grand?
Roasted Tomato and Bacon Frittata
- 4 slices thick-cut peppered bacon -- chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium-sized red onion -- peeled and chopped
- 1 red pepper -- seeded and chopped
- 1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (I used sungold tomatoes with a few cloves of garlic added during roasting)
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar (I used 3-year old white cheddar)
Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside. Drain off most of the rendered bacon fat and save for another use. (I love roasting potatoes in it!)
Add the onions and peppers to the skillet and fry them until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and the bacon and cook another minute.
In a resealable quart jar, combine the eggs and cream. Shake vigorously and carefully pour the resulting custard into the hot skillet with the bacon and vegetables. Carefully lift the edges of the custard as they solidify to allow the uncooked custard to flow underneath. When the custard is nearly set, sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top and place under the broiler set on low. (If you do not have a low broil setting, move the top rack of the oven down and use the regular broil setting.) The frittata should be set and the cheese melted and lightly browned in 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice into wedges. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes