The Foolproof Way to Use Up Leftover Veggies
One word: frittata.
Brian David Photography
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It’s a scene just about every household knows all too well. After a meal is over, you package up leftover vegetables and stash them, optimistically, in your fridge. Yet inevitably a week later, you find them rotten and uneaten in your fridge. Ugh.
Instead of letting your veggies go to waste, you can easily transform them into a meal that’s so tasty your family won’t even know it’s made from leftovers. Enter: Michael Symon’s Quick Veggie Frittata.
In his class on the Food Network Kitchen app, Michael shows you how to whip up a massive, vegetable-packed frittata that’s perfect for feeding a family. He’s particularly fond of this recipe because of its versatility — not only can you stuff the frittata with whatever meat, cheese and veggies you have on hand, but it’s also delicious served hot, cold or room temperature.
For his frittata, Michael uses fresh Swiss chard, zucchini and grape tomatoes, but this colorful, healthy dish can be made with any leftover cooked vegetables that are already in your fridge. To do so, he suggests first giving them a refresh: simply heat them up in a non-stick pan over the stove.
As your vegetables are warming up, crack eight eggs into a mixing bowl and stir them up with a fork. Add heavy cream to thicken up the mixture. If you don’t have heavy cream or half-and-half, you can swap in whole milk instead. Although the frittata won’t be as rich, Michael says this switch will work if you’re in a pinch.
Next, pour the eggs into your pan over the veggies and mix everything up with a wooden spoon for a minute or two. Pro tip: Michael says it’ll look similar to making scrambled eggs. Once everything is combined, turn the heat off and press down around the corners of the egg mixture to set it.
Michael then scatters his sliced grape tomatoes on top, but you can finish your frittata with whatever pleases your taste buds: diced peppers, crumbled bacon or shredded cheese are all great options.
Pop the frittata into the oven and broil it for a few minutes. To make sure your eggs don’t burn, Michael suggests keeping the door to the oven slightly ajar so you can consistently check on it.
When your frittata boasts a crisp, golden brown crust, pull it out of the oven and serve. And there you have it. Your leftover vegetables have a new life, and you have a nutritious and hearty weekday breakfast or weekend brunch!
Need inspiration for the other leftovers taking up space in your fridge? Michael and more of your favorite chefs have tons of on-demand classes available on the Food Network Kitchen app to help with just that! And, if you use the tag #WeCook when you post your creations on Instagram, you might see your pics on our page.
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