Cheesy Spinach Frittata

Whenever I need a quick, easy, and healthy meal I immediately find myself thinking about making a frittata. It’s a great way to clean out the fridge and use up any produce, meat, or cheese you have left. 

In fact, almost every weekend, some kind of frittata is being made in our house. Favorites include this Corn and Bacon Frittata, Ham and Cheese Frittata, and Western Omelet Frittata.

Lately, I have been loving this Easy Spinach Frittata since I always have fresh or frozen spinach on hand. Add your favorite cheese and in less than 30 minutes you have a fluffy, tasty frittata you can serve for any meal.

Why We Love This Spinach Frittata

• Works for any meal: This tasty egg dish can be served warm or at room temperature for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!
• Versatile: Frittatas are so easy to customize. Add more veggies, swap in a different cheese, or add some bacon or ham.
• Great for meal prep: Fritttas keep well in the fridge making them great for meal prep.

What is a frittata?

A frittata is a fluffy baked egg dish that is made with eggs, milk or cream, and fillings. The fillings normally include vegetables, cheese, or meats. It’s popular for brunch but can be served for any meal.

Frittata and quiche are often confused. A frittata is basically a crustless quiche. Frittatas are normally cooked in a cast-iron skillet whereas quiche is cooked in a pie pan since it has a crust. Quiche also sometimes has more milk than a frittata.

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

• Eggs: For a rich and creamy frittata, it is best to use whole eggs. Egg replacers and egg whites can be swapped in but the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
• Milk: Any milk can be used in a frittata. Some people prefer using heavy cream for a more indulgent flavor.
• Spinach: Fresh baby spinach or defrosted frozen spinach are the easiest options for this frittata. Another vegetable or green can be added, just make sure to cook it completely so it doesn’t release extra moisture into the frittata as it cooks.
• Onion: Adding onion boost the flavor of the entire frittata. Any onion can be used, including green onion. Onion powder would also work but the flavor will be more subtle.
• Cheese: I like a combination of shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese, but any cheese can be used. Goat cheese, feta cheese, Monterey jack, pepper jack, and mozzarella are all good options.
• Salt and pepper: Normally I don’t include salt and pepper in the ingredient list but they are so important for egg dishes. If your frittata tastes bland, it likely means you didn’t add enough salt. Kosher salt or sea salt is best.

Frittata Cooking Tips

• Whisk well: Make sure to really whisk the egg mixture well so they are frothy and combined with the milk.
• Cook slowly: For a fluffy frittata, it is best to cook the eggs at a lower temperature. To brown the top, you can turn it up to broil in the last couple of minutes.
• Don’t skip the diary: Many people are tempted to skip the milk, but the frittata won’t turn out as fluffy. Full-fat milk gives you the fluffiest frittata.
• Perfect ratio: When making a frittata, don’t eyeball the ratio of milk to eggs. For every dozen eggs, you need ½ cup of milk. Using too little milk makes the eggs dry. Using too much, the eggs will be loose.
• Cheese: If you don’t like the top of the frittata browned, make sure to mix all of the cheese into the eggs instead of sprinkling it on top.
• Let the frittata rest: Always let the frittata rest for 5 minutes or more for the eggs to set and cool slightly. This helps the frittata to release from the skillet as well. Then use a rubber spatula to remove it from the pan.
• Always cook the veggies or meat: You don’t want any frittata fillings to release moisture into the egg custard as it cooks. Make sure to always cook veggies and meat before adding them to the eggs.
• Do not overbake: Many people cook frittatas for too long and the eggs dry out. It should be barely set when it comes out of the oven since it will continue to cook as it rests.

Variations and Recipe Ideas

There are so many ways to customize this spinach frittata recipe. Here are some favorites:

• Add sundried tomatoes
• Make it spicy with pepper jack cheese or Calabrian chilies
• Add artichokes for a frittata version of spinach artichoke dip
• Add sauteed mushrooms or potatoes
• Try making it with more veggies, like in this Vegetable Frittata
• Add bacon, breakfast sausage, or chopped ham
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of pesto to the egg mixture - so good!

Side Dish Ideas

• For breakfast: When I am making this for breakfast, I serve it alongside some homemade turkey breakfast sausage and homemade two ingredient English muffins.
• For lunch: Serve this with a big spring mix salad and some homemade garlic knots.
• For dinner: Roasted potatoes and my favorite Shaved Brussels sprouts salad.

Storage, Meal Prep, and Freezing

This spinach frittata can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Serve it cold, at room temperature, or warm it slightly in the microwave on power 50%.

Although many people freeze frittatas, I find that the texture changes and becomes spongy after being frozen.