Frittatas are one of my favorites for quick and easy meals throughout the week. With all of the frittatas I’ve made over the years (lots and lots of them!), I have never thought to add fruit.
Fortunately, my good friend Michelle over at What’s Cooking with Kids is a bit more creative than I am! In her new cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook, she has taken one of my favorite quick meals and added some great flavors (apples, bacon, and cheddar!). So, naturally, when I was given the opportunity to test-drive some recipes from the book, I was immediately drawn to the frittata… And, it was a huge hit. Both my husband and I loved it. I should also admit that it was much easier to make than the ones I typically whip up, so I’ll happily make it again sometime (probably soon!).
I don’t have any kids, but I had a lot of fun going through the recipes that Michelle sent along for me to try out. Even though the cookbook is aimed at kid-friendly food, I found the recipes to still have interesting and sophisticated flavors that anyone can enjoy. My husband is a good sport and will eat pretty much anything that I make (he’ll try it, at least), but I’m always on the lookout for healthy, husband friendly recipes. I’m definitely looking forward to making the lemon buttermilk sherbet this summer!
I also found that the recipes are straightforward and easy to prepare, and I was especially impressed with the way the steps in the recipe are broken down for different age groups. It’s definitely a book that I will recommend (and probably purchase as a gift!) for my friends who do have kids. It truly is a cookbook that is appropriate for the whole family!
Don’t just take my word for it, though… Be sure to take a some time to watch the great video trailer for the book. If you don’t already know Michelle, I am sure that you will instantly fall in love with her and her sweet family.
Giveaway…
The Whole Family Cookbook is available on Amazon, but Michelle was nice enough to provide an additional copy for me to give away to a lucky reader!
Please note – This giveaway is now closed.
Congrats to Chris over at The Peche, who was randomly selected as the winner of the cookbook!
Sneak Peek…
Though I can’t give a cookbook away to every one of you, Michelle was nice enough to let me share her recipe for the apple, bacon, and cheddar frittata. As you can see from the photos, it is a beautiful and elegant dish that is simple to make. We enjoyed it for lunch one day, but it is also perfect for breakfast or even dinner with a salad on the side!
Here’s what Michelle has to say about the recipe…
When I was a child, I was obsessed with animals. I never dreamed that when I grew up, my family would have a flock of chickens in the backyard! This is the perfect recipe to make use of our plethora of fresh and delicious eggs. Not only is it delicious warm, but it also packs well in an insulated bag for school lunches.
I also think it’s worth noting that Michelle’s family has given their chickens some fun and creative names… Like Kung Pao, Nugget, and Cacciatore!
ABC (Apple Bacon Cheddar) Frittata
(Serves 4, Recipe from The Whole Family Cookbook, Used with permission)
- 2 egg whites
- 8 whole eggs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- Salt, to taste
- 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Ground Pepper, to taste
- 2 apples, Fuji or Gala
- 1 Tablespoon butter
Put the rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Crack the eggs, one at a time, over a small bowl. After checking for stray shells, pour each egg into a medium bowl. To separate the egg whites, crack the egg over an egg separator or someone’s clean hands. Carefully let the egg white slip through the fingers into the bowl, with the yolk remaining. Discard the yolk or save for another recipe. Using a whisk, beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined.
Grate the cheese. Younger children can help you use a rotary cheese grater (which protects their skin). Older children can use a box grater. Add half of the grated cheese to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to your liking.
Cook the strips of bacon. You can fry them in a skillet (watch out! They can splatter.) Or, you can bake them in the oven on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet. We like this method because we don’t have to turn the bacon over and the kids stay safe.
(Jen’s Note – I cooked the bacon in the cast iron skillet that I used to make the frittata. The rendered bacon fat adds great additional flavor to the frittata and helps to keep it from sticking to the pan!)
Once the bacon cools, crumble the strips with clean hands. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the apple. If you have an apple corer, you may use it. Or, simply cut up the apple, leaving the core behind. Slice the apple pieces very thinly. As you are cutting, be sure to put the flat side of the apple pieces down, so the chunks don’t wobble on your cutting board.
(Jen’s Note – I didn’t peel the apple… I like the extra color and texture that the skin adds.)
In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture to the skillet. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles evenly over the eggs. Gently arrange the apples on top of the egg mixture, in a circular pattern. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
(Jen’s Note – If you did decide to cook the bacon in your skillet, you can skip the tablespoon of butter.)
Move the skillet from the stovetop to the upper rack of your oven. Bake until frittata is firm in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes. Use a flexible spatula to loosen the frittata from the pan. Carefully slide it onto a cutting board. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges.
My Kitchen Addiction Product Review Policy and Disclosure–
I received this cookbook (The Whole Family Cookbook) at no cost from the publisher (or a representative PR firm) for the purpose of testing and reviewing the book. Unless otherwise specified, I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. I only review products that I have personally tested and used in my kitchen/home, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Please Note – The links to The Whole Family Cookbook provided in this post are Amazon affiliate links.
This kid friendly recipe is so simple – and definitely cheating, but my kids adore…aka beg for it. Ramien Noodles enhanced with spinach and topped with a fried egg at the end. Pure comfort food for my girls.
I have a confession to make – your version of this dish is WAY prettier than mine ever was! Thank you for the lovely post, Jen. I hope your readers enjoy the recipe :-)
xoxo
m
So beautiful, Jen!
I’d say chili with some hearty cornbread on the side. Who doesn’t love chili? Even vegetarian chili is awesome! :)
Gorgeous recipe! I can’t wait to try! Our favorite kid-friendly recipe is homemade waffles or pancakes. I make them healthy with some whole wheat flour and use fresh fruit to garnish. The kids love it!
That frittata looks yummy AND beautiful!
Jen – your photography is amazing! Seriously, incredible! Your passion shows through!
I’m not sure how the frittata will turn out with our vegan cheese but I’m willing to give it a try!
Thanks for the inspiration!
love the addition of apples to this frittata – beautiful photos too!
It would have to be mac and cheese. I know that my four year old will always eat it!
i love baking cookies with my nephews!
I love the apple in there!
When my son was growing up (he is now 25!)he would help me make empenadas. I usually made them with ground beef and ground pork mixed with onion, garlic, chopped green olives, bell peppers, minced capers and chopped black olives and baked in pastry. We would also make seasonal fruit empenadas using apples or peaches or mincemeat with spices and the addition of raisins, currants or sultanas. They are “all ages” friendly because you hold them to eat them and they cause little or no mess. The filling the pastry and then crimping the edges with a fork or painting the beaten egg on top of the pastry is a lot of fun for the kids to help Mom!
That fritatta looks amazing!
I love making homemade chicken nuggets for my little nugget. I add some grated carrots, grated apple and oatmeal to keep them healthy!
i didn’t realize how easy to make frittatas are!
this looks very tasty.
Our true signature family meal is the homemade pizza–a recipe that involves the entire family in prep/cooking but also uses an intense amount of imagination to create the perfect “combo” as we experiment.
Our favorite family meal is meatloaf!
Gorgeous frittata, and definitely next on my list to try from Michelle’s lovely book! Yum!!
I love the combination of flavors! We don’t make frittats all that often, but this one would surely be a hit.
What a beautiful dish to bring to the table! And the flavors sound wonderful together – I will definitely be making this – thanks!!
Definitely the most attractive frittata I have ever seen. Nice job and fantastic review.
Apple? Bacon? Cheddar? Eggs?
Sign me up!
Michelle’s book looks fantastic!!
Wow, that’s beautiful! I love the way you fanned out the apple slices.
We love throwing fresh veggies from our CSA into some pasta, adding in some cheese or cream!
That looks really good! I’ve just realized I love apple slices on a grilled turkey sandwich (with homemade pepper jelly of course). My family’s go-to meal is spaghetti, alfredo or lasagna. Anything pasta related. I think because it’s so quick and easy…or you can take more time to intensify the flavors.
Thanks for sharing,
Aimee
Oh, it’s gorgeous! (don’t enter me since I have a copy on the way…..just wanted to say that I loved the post and can’t wait to try this recipe!)
My kids absolutely love lasgna. They request this for their birthday meal every year.
I love the apples in this frittata. It adds so much!
Just yesterday, we asked each of our kids to choose a meal they’d like to eat (with three kids, each of them gets two nights). We’re trying to include them more in cooking, and I think Michelle’s cookbook is going to be a great addition to making them part of the cooking fun. Whether we win or not, we’re getting that book!
I so love frittata’s right now, new phase and am going to make this one this week. Yours is absolutely beautiful, going to try to make mine look like that too. No small ones in the house now to feed but we had chickens while they were growing up – nothing better than gathering fresh eggs for baking. The chickens were a lot of fun, lots of personality.
Thanks for sharing –
Elena
I certainly have not had enough fritattas in my life, but that needs to change. This looks delicious and so does Michelle’s cookbook!
I am so glad I chanced upon your blog just before your wonderful giveaway is closing!!! It is a gorgeous blog you have here and I am hoping I can submit something for the Kitchen Bootcamp too!
Growing up in India my favoritest thing to eat were pancakes ‘coz you didn’t get mixes then in India and people didn’t make them much at home so it was always a treat to go a big restaurant and order some – I could eat them for any meal – little did I know I would be able to make them from scratch one day :)!
Wow. That looks amazing. I made the Apple Puff last night. It’s terrific. Even with my little boo boo in the kitchen.
Love your photos!!
I just got my copy of this book and am having a hard time choosing what to make with Les Petits Chefs next week! It all looks so good! This was on my list!
Would love this cookbook! Our favorite family friendly meal is a simple chicken sauté with garlic and Ginger, frozen stir fry veggies and hot rice!
I’m a single mom of twins and it’s tough finding time to make things that are tasty and require minimal prep and cooking time after getting home from work.
I love to make something I call ‘Cowboy Supper’ for us. It’s chorizo sausage or russians, corn, tomato and pre-cooked potato all lightly pan fried in a mild garlic butter and sprinkled with cheese. My kids love it especially my son who adds a little mild prego sauce to give it a slight kick. He’s only 3! haha.
Definitely my favorite is the cardamom braid my father and I always make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. No matter how busy we are, we always set aside time to do this one thing together — plus cardamom is delicious! This sweet bread has become such a staple that we always give it to friends and relatives for their holiday table, and it’s always met with cheers.
What a delicious looking frittata! I wouldn’t have thought to add fruit either.
One of our favorite meals around our house (kid free) is goat cheese pizza. It’s simple, quick and delicious.
Wow! I was looking for a quick supper idea and I think I just found it! That looks wonderful!!! Love the photo too! :)
I think one of our favorite family friendly recipes is homemade pizza. I use fresh tomatoes and herbs from our garden to make homemade pizza sauce then process it so we have it on hand the rest of the year. When we want a quick supper, I make the pizza crust, add some toppings, and whalla!
How fun! Love this! Thanks for the offer!
My gave family friendly recipe is baked tofu nuggets. If you freeze and defrost the tofu AND cut it thin enough, kids never know it’s not chicken! Adults love it too, esp my girlfriends since it’s healthy :)