Thanksgiving Recipes for Small Groups

Also Known As “ How Not To Go Insane This Holiday”

Somehow, trying to get the entire family under one roof for a holiday always seems to turn into a headache.

Everybody says they'll be there, but when it comes time to decide who's bringing what, half the family's plans have changed - now they aren't coming. Great Aunt Jean said she'd host, but dropped out at the last minute. Uncle Tim said he'd bring dessert, but then brought the dreaded casserole instead. The sister who was supposed to bring the drinks only brought ice, the brother who was supposed to bring the bread brought a salad... And now no one knows what's going on. The person pressed into hosting is taking a frantic tally to figure out what's missing, someone's already in their car on their way to the only store in town that's open on Thanksgiving, and no one knows whether or not the turkey will be done in time.

It happens every year, in varying degrees, to every family. There are always too many moving parts. So this week's post is dedicated to keeping everything simple. Read on for the easiest recipes we could think of to help you get through this mess with your sanity intact.

The easy way, and the COVID-19 friendly way, to survive the holiday is to not have everyone over. Do a smaller celebration. The recipes in this post are sized for a group of four to six people.

Appetizer

Taco Bites

Chances are the kids are going to try to skip as many healthy foods as they can when dinner hits the table. Let's sneak something in early.

Ingredients:

2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas

1 1 oz packet taco seasoning

3 Tbsp oil

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, torn

3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Tools:

Cutting board, knife, colander, baking sheet with a rim, plastic bag, paper towels

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450.

Pour your oil into the baking sheet and tilt to move the oil around until you've coated the entire bottom of the pan. Place the coated pan into the oven for two minutes.

Dump your chickpeas into the colander, rinse them and allow them to drain, and then pat them to remove some of the excess water.

Pour your taco seasoning into the plastic bag, add the chickpeas, seal the bag and shake! The goal is to evenly coat the chickpeas. There will be seasoning left over, and that's okay. You can hold on to it and sprinkle it on top later if you'd like.

Spread your seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes.

While the chickpeas are baking, wash your lettuce and tomatoes. Rough chop the tomatoes and tear the lettuce into large pieces.

Once you remove the chickpeas from the oven, allow them to cool down some - but not to room temperature - and drain off excess oil.

Wrap a spoonful of chickpeas, a few chunks of tomato, and a sprinkling of cheese into a strip of lettuce and roll it up like a burrito (hold in place with a toothpick if necessary). Serve with guacamole, sour cream or salsa if desired.

Entree

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey for most families. But why carve up a whole bird and encourage everyone to fight over the drumsticks while they ignore everything else? We suggest a turkey pot pie instead. It's so easy you can have the kids help! Cook the turkey and potatoes in the slow cooker overnight so it's all ready to shred and mash in the morning.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 boneless turkey breast (Butterball Cajun-seasoned 3 pound is a favorite here)

6 large russet potatoes, chunked

2 14 oz bags frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 18 oz jar turkey gravy

1 can Pillsbury crescent dough

Tools:

Slow cooker, deep baking dish, mixing bowls, cutting board, slotted spoon

Instructions:

The night before you plan to have your Thanksgiving dinner, wash and cut up your potatoes. Place them into the bottom of your slow cooker, and add enough water or broth to cover. Place your turkey breast on top of the potatoes, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low. Allow it to run overnight, at least seven hours.

In the morning, turn off the slow cooker and pull the turkey. Shred it on the cutting board and set it aside to cool. Stir your mixed vegetables and gravy in with with your shredded turkey.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the slow cooker. Put them into a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Lumps are fine, no worries! You may choose to add milk or butter at this step.

Line the bottom of your baking dish with your mashed potatoes. 

Pour a thick layer of your turkey and vegetable and gravy mixture on top of your mashed potatoes.

Top with the sheet of crescent dough. It's okay to trim it down or stretch it to fit - just make sure to stretch evenly and gently so it doesn't tear.

Poke a few small vent holes with a fork or knife before placing your pot pie in the oven.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

Sides

Cranberry Sauce

Repeat after us: Cranberry sauce is not supposed to come from a can.

Cranberry sauce is the easiest Thanksgiving side, by far. (Unless you forget the lid on the pan. Trust us, do not forget the lid!) The tried and true method of berries, a simple syrup, a handful of spices, and a few minutes of intense heat makes a foolproof sauce.

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Tools:

Sauce pan, lid, heatproof serving dish

Wash your cranberries and toss out any sad-looking ones. Sad berries make sad sauce.

Combine your sugar, water and spices in the pan. Place over medium heat and bring up to a boil.

Pour in your fresh cranberries - be careful not to splash!

Cook your cranberries in your covered (we cannot stress this enough! Boiling sugar hurts, and exploding berries are messy!) pan, stirring frequently, until all of your berries have popped.

Remove from heat and stir in your lemon juice.

In the event your family does not want lumps in the sauce, you can push this mixture through a fine sieve to separate the skins from the jelly - but we like it better with the lumps. We also prefer it warm, but feel free to put it into the fridge for half an hour if you'd like it to firm up.

Bacon Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

In our experience, most kids despise Brussels sprouts. But most kids love bacon and cheese. Hopefully, in your case as in ours, they balance out a bit. And just about every Thanksgiving dinner could use some more veggies.

Ingredients:

1 2.5 oz bag bacon crumbles

1 12 oz bag frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Tools:

Baking sheet

Mix your Brussels sprouts, melted butter and bacon together in a mixing bowl.

Arrange the sprouts in a thin layer on your baking sheet. Make sure to leave a little wiggle room between them for air to circulate. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. You can roast them a little longer if you'd like, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Literally no one will want to eat burned veggies.

It's that simple. Honestly.

Desserts

Everyone expects pie on Thanksgiving... But it doesn't have to be the same old pie you've had every year. Don't get us wrong here, we love pumpkin pies - they're fantastic looking, easy, delicious and they keep well for a few days.

Every once in a while, though, it's nice to flip the script. This year, try an ice cream pie!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients

24 oz vanilla ice cream, softened

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice, to taste

1 9" pie crust (traditional or graham, or even Oreo if you'd prefer)

Tools:

Mixing bowl, pie pan, aluminum foil

If you're using a traditional crust, bake it ahead of time and let it cool. Please don't pour ice cream into a raw or still-hot crust - you'll end up with a soggy mess either way.

Spoon your softened ice cream into a mixing bowl. Shake in some pumpkin pie spice - however much you like. Some people like a bunch, some families aren't fond of it.

Fold in your pumpkin puree and stir. Mix it until thoroughly incorporated if you want a uniform pie, but if you want the swirl effect, just stop mixing when it looks the way you want it to.

Pour your ice cream mixture into the prepared pie crust, wrap up the top in foil and stick the whole thing into the freezer to chill back up. It should be firm and good to go in about three hours.

If you want to be extra fancy, drizzle it with caramel syrup and top with whipped cream when you serve it.

Take a deep breath. If you've reached the serving dessert stage, the worst of the craziness will soon pass.

What do you think? Are you as eager (read: apprehensive) about the holiday as we were? We hope you'll let us know over on our Facebook page. Feel free to share your family traditions or Thanksgiving hacks! And if something in your kitchen is acting like a little turkey and making you want to use some fowl language... Give us a call, or make an appointment online here.

The Frightful Feast Continues

Halloween Themed Meals

Last week we made you a promise: real food ideas for dinner, but with enough of a Halloween twist to distract the kids from the impending sugar rush (at least momentarily).

This post brings you three entrees full of creepy, spooky, tasty Halloween goodness.

We do use shaped molds in one recipe. If you opt to use that recipe, be sure to get metal or heat-resistant silicon molds so you'll be able to put them in the oven. They're available at your local Target or Wal-Mart for between two and twelve dollars, as store brand or name brand. Wilton makes the best, in our opinion - the cutest for sure, but also the most expensive.

If you don't want to spend the extra time or money on shaped molds, we've provided a couple of "handy" alternatives at the end.

Fried Worms and Stranglevine Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs or Polish sausages

1 jar mild pickled pepper rings or slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 slices wheat bread

Ketchup, mustard, relish, etc., to taste

Tools:

Frying pan, cutting board

Step One:

Cut your hot dogs or sausages into quarters. Sometimes we feel quarters are a bit too broad and cut them into eighths, which cook quicker anyway.

Step Two:

Drain the vinegar from your pepper rings and rinse them off so the pickled taste isn't quite so strong.

Step Three:

Put your bread into the toaster. Crispy slices hold up much better; you may wish to toast them a little longer than your usual setting.

Step Four:

Heat the olive oil in your frying pan and toss in the sausage and peppers to sear.

Step Five:

Scoop a generous helping of "worms and vines" onto your toast, and garnish with your favorite condiments before serving.

Brain Loaf

Ingredients

2 lbs fine ground turkey or ground beef ( it’s up to you)

1/2 cup chopped, steamed cauliflower (cooled)

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ sauce or ketchup for decorating

Tools:

Two small aluminum mixing bowls (the rounder the better), large mixing bowl, baking sheet

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. While it's heating, mix your turkey - we like to use Honeysuckle White brand Italian seasoned turkey link sausage, but remove the casing - with your cauliflower, egg, breadcrumbs and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two:

Grease your two small aluminum mixing bowls lightly with nonstick spray, butter or oil - whatever you have on hand. Fill them to about 3/4 full with your turkey mixture.

Step Three:

Place your two mixing bowls onto a baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Test with a meat thermometer if you're not sure whether or not they're cooked through.

Step Four:

Loosen around the edges with a butter knife and turn the bowls upside down onto the dish you'll be serving from.

Step Five:

Use your ketchup or BBQ sauce to draw squiggles on your "brain" before cutting to serve.

Pirate Bones in Seaweed

This is the recipe where those shaped molds come into play! Skulls and crossbones are ideal for what we've called it here, but feel free to make up your own fun name to go with jack o'lantern, brain, bat or ghost shaped molds, or whatever else you can find. Get creative! And don't forget to poll the kids if you have them around - they often have brilliant ideas.

Ingredients:

Pirate Bones:

[Use the same recipe from "Brain Loaf" to make your skull and crossbones meatballs]

Seaweed:

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

2 carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

Tools:

Shaped silicon mold(s), vegetable peeler or spiralizer, baking sheet, large skillet or pan

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. Load your silicon mold(s) full of the meatloaf mixture from the previous recipe. Fill the hollows to the top, and make sure to squish the mixture down into the little details. Having two or more molds is optional, but having more streamlines the process (and you'll only have to get your hands dirty once like that).

Step Two:

Place your silicon mold(s) onto the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the visible edges of the meat mixture have browned.

Step Three:

Heat the butter in your skillet or pan on low.

Step Four:

While your meatballs are baking, use a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler to either spiral cut or shave thin slices of your vegetables into the melted butter.

Step Five:

Once all the vegetables have been sliced into the pan, turn the heat up and saute them lightly. Season to taste (we like garlic or lemon-pepper seasoning) and arrange into a nest on each plate.

Step Six:

Pop your shaped meatballs out of the molds and divide them up between the dishes of vegetables. Sauce is optional.

Hand Steak and Veggies

Here's the alternate idea we promised you, in the event you weren't interested in the shaped meatballs from the last recipe.

Utilize the meatloaf recipe once more and arrange it into a large hand shape on a baking sheet or in the bottom of a large skillet, and either bake or pan fry until done.

For a slightly less messy option, you could step over to the grocery store and pick up a ham steak or two. Trim up the edges and then cut short lines in from one side to make wide "fingers," and then pan sear.

Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy your simple, spooky meal!

Happy Halloween!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were?  We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment. 

The Meal Opens On a Fright

Halloween Themed Appetizers  To Terrorize Your Guests

It is officially that time of year.

Many families love Christmas the most, and they put maximum effort into Christmas foods, decorations, films, music and traditions. We're not saying we dislike Christmas, or even that we don't put in that kind of effort, but... It's too early for that. Ignore the department stores.

In this house, Christmas is very closely rivaled by Halloween. We plan Halloween costumes several months in advance. We have Halloween traditions that we trot out every year, and specific decorations that have to make an appearance somewhere around the house, and movies we just have to see. And yes, we do have favorite Halloween recipes. We'd like to share some with you.

This post will only have appetizers. We'll be back again next weekend with some real food that comes with a Halloween twist. The point is, the recipes will be there for you when you'll need them - right about the time the kids are so obsessed with candy that the idea of meat or vegetables hasn't occurred to them for the last 48 hours.

These recipes are pretty simple. Feel free to get the kids involved! Extra hands can make this a lot easier.

Appetizers:

Mummy Fingers and Spider Guac

Ingredients:

1 bag pretzel rods

1 can pizza or crescent dough

1 container chunky avocado or 3 whole ripe avocados

1 small tub sour cream

1 jar salsa (purchased or homemade)

1 packet guacamole seasoning (or make your own)

Tools:

Baking sheet(s), cutting board, sharp knife, shallow dish (preferably a round one; pie dishes work great), sandwich bag, toothpick(s)

Step One:

Have a little helper break your pretzel rods down to finger size (halves or thirds work well). Remember - this is an exercise where imperfect is perfect, so don't worry about them being even.

Step Two:

Unroll your dough onto a cutting board while the oven preheats according to package directions. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into long, thin strips.

Step Three:

Wrap the dough around the pretzel rods as "mummy bandages" and bake according to package directions. (Brush with melted butter if you want some extra flavor, although we felt it didn't need it with the salty pretzels.)

Step Four:

While your "Mummy Fingers" are in the oven, mash your avocados (or just open up your purchased container of avocado) and mix in your seasoning.

Step Five:

Pour your salsa out into a shallow round dish, and spoon your guacamole over top of it. Make sure to put a thick, even layer of guacamole and smooth it out - it will be your blank canvas soon.

Step Six:

Drop a few spoonfuls of sour cream into a sandwich bag and seal it up. Poke a hole through a bottom corner with a toothpick. Test the width of your line on a paper towel if you're not sure about it - but start small. You can always widen it later, but if you start with too wide a line, you'll need a new sandwich bag.

Step Seven:

Use the sour cream to draw your web! Squeeze a circle of sour cream out on top of your guacamole just inside the rim of the dish. Draw a slightly smaller circle inside that one. Repeat the circles, smaller and smaller but not touching, until you reach the center of the dish. Use a toothpick to draw straight lines from the center to the outside of the guacamole, which will stretch and distort your sour cream circles into a web. We like to start with four lines and then split the distance between them to make eight even divisions. If you're so inclined, you could even toss some food coloring in with the leftover sour cream in the bag and draw a sour cream spider in a contrasting color.

Step Eight:

Remove your mummy fingers from the oven and enjoy with your spider guacamole!

Pumpkin Guts Dip

Disclaimer: No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 brick cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (preferably orange)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup Buffalo sauce (or more if you'd like)

3-5 Tablespoons heavy cream or ranch dressing

1/3 cup garbanzo beans, pureed

1 carrot, finely shredded

1 can chunk chicken breast, drained (optional)

Celery sticks ("pumpkin stems") for dipping

Tools: Fine grater, sauce pan, serving dish, platter

Step One:

Toss all of your cheeses into a shallow sauce pan and turn the heat on low. Cover with a lid and allow the cream cheese to melt, stirring every few minutes.

Step Two:

As your cheeses melt, pour in your Buffalo sauce and cream or dressing. Stir well to incorporate.

Step Three:

Add your pureed beans and stir. Grate your carrot directly into your sauce pan, stirring occasionally to prevent mounds of carrot lumping up in the middle of the pan. If you're also using chicken, now is the time to add it. After stirring everything well, cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-low.

Step Four:

Cook over medium-low heat until bubbly. While it's cooking, wash and chop your celery and arrange it on a platter.

Step Five:

Have your little helpers, if present, taste test. Add more cream or dressing or cheese if it's too spicy or too thick, and add more Buffalo sauce or a dash of Tabasco if it's too mild.

Step Six:

Pour into a serving dish, add it to your platter of "stems" and dig in!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were? We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment. 

Welcome Autumn with Fall Fruit Bread

Welcoming in cooler weather with a baking spree.

Welcome to Autumn! 

While the first day of autumn is technically not until next week Tuesday, everyone else seems to already be on the fall flavors bandwagon. We're getting tired of lagging behind. If The-Big-Coffee-Chain-We-Cannot-Name can start offering pumpkin spice lattes in AUGUST, we’re sure we can give you a recipe based on in-season fall fruits a few days ahead of schedule.

We haven't offered you fine readers anything sweet lately in the recipe posts, and the collective sweet tooth is starting to make some noise around here. So this week's recipe is a fruit based dessert. Or maybe breakfast; we certainly won't tell anyone how or when to eat their baked goods.

If you're lucky enough to have an orchard nearby, head out and grab some fresh apples or pears! They're both in season right now, as are cranberries (which, unfortunately, only make their appearance in their dried form in this recipe). You might make it an adventure in cooking with the family. If not, it's fine to just pick up a few fresh fruits at the farmer's market or local grocery store. You can even get away with using canned goods for this recipe if you're short on time. But whichever kind of fruit you start with, you'll find yourself needing a food processor or blender.

This is a big batch recipe; it'll make a loaf for you and a loaf to give to your neighbor! Alternatively, keep it all for yourself - and if you and the family don't eat it all up right away, you can wrap the second loaf in foil and plastic and put it in the freezer for later.

Fall Fruit Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup pureed apple (or unsweetened applesauce) *

2 cups pureed pear **

1/4 cup dried cranberries

* 2 large apples, or 3 medium apples

** 5 average pears, or two 14-oz cans of pear halves in juice or syrup, drained and rinsed

Let's start with the scariest part of this recipe: the purees. If you've started with fresh apples and pears, you'll have more steps than the folks who've opted for canned goods - but this is all part of the fun.

Bonus: if you're baking with kids, this can be a good teaching opportunity for fractions and conversions. Measure out your cut fruit to track your progress as you go.

Readers who have chosen to use canned goods should skip down to Step 4.

Step One:

Wash all of your fresh produce, please! Apples and pears sold in grocery stores often have a layer of food-grade wax that can complicate this recipe.

Step Two:

Core and slice your fresh apples and pears. Thinner slices will cook up quicker, but thicker slices are good for a chunkier texture. Whether or not you peel the fruit is also up to you - keep all the nutrients by leaving peels intact, or create a finer texture and uniform color by removing skin.

Step Three:

Toss all of your cut fruit into a pan and add just enough water to cover. Cook over medium heat 10-20 minutes, until pieces are tender.

Step Four:

Drain your fruit, either from the pan you've cooked it in or from the can it arrived in. Put all the apples (or applesauce) and pears into a blender or food processor. Blend until you've reached your desired consistency.

Step Five:

Sift together all of your dry ingredients. Whisk your eggs in a separate dish and add the eggs, fruit and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients slowly. Try to avoid over-mixing; an over-mixed batter makes a tougher, chewy cake. If your batter looks heavy, dense, or dry, you can add a tablespoon of water or milk at a time until it reaches normal cake batter consistency. Fold in your dried cranberries.

Step Six:

Grease two loaf pans and fill each to about 2/3 full. Avoid overfilling - an overfull loaf pan can create a nasty mess in your oven if the batter overflows while cooking. If you still have batter left over after filling two loaf pans, consider making a few muffins or a mini loaf.

Step Seven:

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. You should not need to make any time or temperature adjustments for dark/nonstick pans versus glass or aluminum. Just make sure to test with the toothpick trick before removing the loaf pans from the oven - some loaves are a little picky and need slightly more time than others.

Make sure to let them cool at least ten minutes before attempting to turn them out. If you're working with silicone pans, you may need to let them cool completely before the loaves will release without crumbling.

Serve as it is, still warm from the oven - fresh baked goods are tough to resist. On the second day, we prefer to cut it into slabs, toast for a few minutes in the toaster oven and add a pat of butter and a dollop of jelly.

A warm kitchen, and the smell of something you've made at home, and the chance to share with people you care about are the best autumn memories you'll fall back on when the weather changes... But we'll probably still dream about the pumpkin spice drinks from big chain shops, too.

Don't forget if your current washer is giving you trouble and you don't want to replace it you can always give us a call and we'll help you get it back and running. You can place an appointment on our web page or give us a call at (214) 599-0055.

Rainbow Save-Your-Tail Frittata

Also Known as “Oh shoot, I don’t have anything to make and I need to at least pretend I eat healthy!”

We're sure it's happened to you: you're home late, the kids are clamoring for dinner, and you need a quick and easy idea before they start gnawing on you. Or maybe you've got some unexpected company on the way; a friend called and they'll be coming over on short notice. Perhaps it's your turn to bring the main course at the church potluck, or you're hosting a holiday meal for extended family, or even preparing meals you can freeze for someone who's bereaved or expecting?

All of these potentially stressful situations can share one simple, flexible solution. Better yet, the dishes are minimal; one cast iron pan can handle the job alone. And as another added bonus, this recipe can even work if you're serving special diets, like vegetarian or gluten free.

Allow us to introduce you to your new favorite dish: the frittata.

It's like an omelette, but fluffier. Or like a quiche, but gluten free. Or maybe it's whatever you make it. You could do a pizza frittata for the kids, a roasted vegetable frittata for your friend, Mediterranean for church and Mexican inspired to freeze as a make-ahead meal for someone else. No matter what you choose to do with it, the Italians knew what they were doing when they invented this dish.

So please, take the basic recipe from this post and make something amazing. And maybe leave a note in the comments section so we can hear about it, too.

Property of The Kitchn

Ingredients

Rainbow Vegetable Frittata

(Serves 2)

4 Large eggs

1 Roma tomato, diced

2 mini orange sweet peppers, chopped

1 small blue* potato, finely diced

1 handful of fresh spinach, chopped

1/4 small red onion, diced

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter, for sauteeing vegetables

*The blue potato is optional; please feel free to omit it entirely, or to substitute a baby red or small Idaho potato if heirloom produce isn't available in your area.

Instructions:

Before you do anything else, preheat the broiler on your oven. You'll need it briefly at the end.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, drop a pat or two of butter and bring it up to medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the potato (if you're using one) and let it cook slowly while you prepare your eggs. We find it helpful to cover the pan for this step if possible.

Crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk the eggs up with the spices. Set to the side for now.

Add your remaining vegetables to the pan and saute, stirring frequently, until potatoes are soft and onion is nearing translucency. This should take you about 5 minutes, but don't worry if you need extra time - better an extra two minutes here than a par-cooked potato ruining the meal. Be mindful of the fact spinach wilts quickly, and consider adding it last.

Once your vegetables are ready, pour the egg mixture over top. Keep the heat no higher than medium.

As your egg begins to set, resist the urge to stir! Instead, take a thin spatula and gently pry it away from the edges of the pan and up from the bottom. The goal here is to let the raw egg slip into the opened space. Repeat this process as each layer sets.

Cook in this manner for about 7 minutes. You want the bottom portion to be completely set and the top portion to be soft-set.

Spread your shredded cheese in a thin layer over the top of the eggs.

Move the pan from the stove top to under the broiler. Broil for 3 minutes.

Now the fun part! Cut into whatever shape you want, and enjoy!

Let us know what you think over on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you and how your meal turned out! 

If this isn’t your thing, we have something completely different coming out in two weeks, so be sure to check back then. 

Remember, if your appliances are giving you trouble, or if you just want someone to give them a once over, give us a call. We want to help keep your home running in tip top shape. 

Call ((214) 599-0055) 

Set an appointment online.

Notes

As we said in the beginning, this is a flexible recipe. Use whatever herbs, spices, meats, vegetables and cheeses speak to you. We love the combinations of chorizo, garlic, cilantro, tomato and sweet onion topped with queso fresco, or of spinach, artichoke hearts, rosemary and feta, or hot Italian sausage with sun dried tomato, zucchini and provolone cheese. We've even heard tell of Cajun-inspired shrimp and Andouille sausage frittatas with red beans, onions, peppers and hot sauce.

A good rule of thumb to work with is two eggs per person. For every serving of eggs, you'll want half a cup of "filling" (meats, vegetables, etc.) and 2 tablespoons of cheese. (Unless you're like our family, which would gladly put half a pound of cheese into eight eggs and call it a frittata. We're not sure if the recipe is really flexible enough for this interpretation, but... We're not judging your fritatta, so be nice about ours.)

Courtesy of Nature Farms