On Christmas morning, my mom went all fancy on us and served this delicious frittata. A frittata is an Italian egg-based dish alike an omelet or a quiche without a crust. It was a perfect, comforting dish on a snowy Quebec morning.

I like that it’s vegetable-packed and unlike a quiche, it doesn’t require a pesky crust that needs to be painstakingly rolled out. Mom used bacon (6 slices chopped) and breakfast sausage (6 links chopped) in her version, but meatless is great too!

Feel free to play around with the veggies you use. Asparagus, artichoke hearts and roasted butternut squash would be great and replacing the spinach with kale or arugula would also work. It’s a great way to empty out the fridge!

This frittata was served hot at mom’s house but could easily be served at room temperature if featured at a brunch or breakfast buffet.

Note that if grating your own potatoes, the starchier the potatoes, the crisper the “crust”. Baking potatoes would be the starchiest, followed by Yukon Golds and boiling potatoes as the least starchy. All three would work.

Ingredients:

• 15-ounce package of hash browns or 4 cups freshly-grated potatoes, dried very well
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (could use white button mushrooms)
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
• 10 large eggs, beaten well

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. Spread the hash browns on the bottom and walls of the skillet, creating a “crust”. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges of the hash browns have…browned! Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, the butter, the peppers, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened. Add the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain excess oil/moisture.
4. Place the cooked vegetables over the baked crust.
5. In a large bowl, add the cream, the salt, the pepper and the tarragon to the beaten eggs – whisk for a minute then pour over the vegetables, in the skillet.
6. Top the eggs with both cheeses.
7. Place the skillet on a baking sheet (to help with any drips) and bake for 40 minutes, or until the frittata is set in the center.
8. Cool for 5 minutes and serve, or, cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for a day. If serving the next day, allow the frittata to come to room temperature and reheat in a 250 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8 generously.