potato basil frittata

  

le grand petit déjeuner  

. . . translated "the big little lunch" . . . 

I LOVE hosting brunch . . . . 

Because its a meal eaten between or instead of breakfast and lunch, the possibilities are endless.  Your menu can lean more towards breakfast, or lunch, or a combination of both. 

 I prefer to host what I call a "true brunch" ~ a combination of breakfast and lunch that includes fresh seasonal fruit, yogurt & granola, scones or sweet rolls with a variety of spreads, and a hot dish (preferably savory).  

  

. . . And a wonderful hot dish to serve at brunch is a frittata. Their possibilities are endless! You can make them vegetarian, or with meat.  

I hosted a brunch for my daughter's 1st birthday, and served two kinds of  frittatas. Both had the same base, different add-ins . . . 

Potato Basil Frittata

with yellow, orange, and red peppers

~ and ~

Potato Basil Frittata

with sweet and spicy Italian sausage

The frittatas that I made were inspired by Ina Garten's Potato Basil Frittata recipe.  In addition, I made hollandaise sauce to serve as a topping. It was a wonderful addition this dish.

As with most dishes, I have a few tips to share . . .

Although you can assemble this dish in advance,

I recommend leaving the egg mixture

in a bowl until you are ready to pour it over the 

potatoes & onions to bake it.

~

For presentation purposes,

I recommend baking it in a spring-form pan.

Upon release, it will yield a beautiful pie-shaped frittata!

~

Let the frittata sit for approximately 15 minutes before cutting.

A few simple ingredients . . .

 

 

 

~ I recommend using a spring-form pan ~

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, divided

2 cups peeled and 1/2-inch diced boiling potatoes (4 potatoes)

1 yellow pepper, finely diced

1 orange pepper, finely diced 

1 red pepper, finely diced 

8 extra-large eggs

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 pound Pepper Jack cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in pan over medium-low heat. Add the potatoes and fry them until cooked through, turning often, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

In another pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and saute onions until golden and tender. 

Remove onions and add to fried potatoes. Set aside.

In another pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the peppers until tender.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, then stir in the ricotta, Pepper Jack, sauteed peppers, melted butter, salt, pepper, and basil. Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture.

Line the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper, and then put together the spring form pan so that the paper sticks out from the base. 

Generously spray with cooking spray. 

Pour the potatoes and onions on the bottom of the spring-form pan. Spread evenly. 

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and onions, and place the pan in the center of the oven on top of a baking sheet.

Bake the frittata until it is browned and puffed, 50 minutes to 1 hour. It will be rounded and firm in the middle and a knife inserted in the frittata should come out clean. Serve hot.

 ~ released from spring-form pan ~

~ Slice and enjoy! ~

  

Serve with hollandaise sauce!

Bon Appetit!

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