This frittata with spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese is such a good make-ahead breakfast! Bake all in one dish, then reheat squares during the week.
Think of frittata as an Italian cousin to the French omelet, with a few notable differences.
Instead of folding the omelet around the filling as the French do, Italian frittatas mix the eggs and filling together from the start and then bake them together in one dish. It’s a little like an open-faced omelet that can feed the whole family!
Frittatas are usually cooked on top of the stove, and either flipped over in the skillet or finished in the oven. To make life easier, I’ve taken some liberties and eliminated the stovetop flipping step.
With this recipe, all the ingredients go into a baking dish and then straight into the oven. The preparation itself is quick – just quickly cook the filling ingredients and mix them into the eggs – while the time in the oven is a bit longer. Slow and gentle oven-cooking helps bring out the best texture in the frittata.
One other advantage of a baked frittata is that it can be made ahead, and individual squares can be reheated in the microwave for an easy grab-and-go breakfast. With eight servings from the pan, you have breakfast for the whole week!
This also makes a stellar make-ahead brunch recipe. Just add a salad, some crusty bread, and a bowl of fruit and you are ready to relax when guests arrive.
Make-Ahead Frittata Squares with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Feta Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 squares
Ingredients
- Butter (for the baking dish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 5 ounces (about 3 1/2 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 12 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (about 5 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Special equipment:
- 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish (8×8 square or 7×11 rectangular)
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2 Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until just starting to soften but not yet falling apart. Transfer to a separate dish and set aside.
Add the the scallions to the pan and cook for about 1 minute, or until softened. Stir in the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for a few minutes.
Stir in the crumbled feta cheese.
3 Whisk egg mixture: In a large bowl, gradually whisk the milk into the sour cream until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
5 Assemble and bake the frittata: Transfer the spinach filling from the pan into the baking dish and pour the egg mixture over top. Scatter the tomatoes on top of the eggs so they peek out, and sprinkle with the parsley.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the eggs are set. You can check with a paring knife inserted in the middle; the eggs should be set and no longer be runny.
6 Serve: Cool the frittata for at least 10 minutes, and cut into 9 servings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week, and reheat in the microwave.
