Hi peeps, we’re gonna get straight to the point today. You want this Leek, Shiitake and Goat Cheese Frittata in your life, like right this minute. Savory and aromatic with thyme, garlic and shallots plus creamy goat cheese, this is the stuff of Sunday brunch dreams.  Also, there’s bacon.  

Last Sunday, I got lucky. The baby took a decent nap, and the six year old was super into his new Spiderman lego set, so I indulged in puttering around my kitchen for a bit. I discovered a spare leek and a forgotten box of shiitakes languishing in the vegetable drawer. You know the best solution for utilizing leftover bits from last week’s grocery run? Frittatas!!! They are quiche’s low carb cousin, and paired with a simple green salad, make a lovely little Sunday lunch. Plus the leftovers mean Monday morning breakfast is waiting for me when I stumble bleary eyed into the kitchen. Bonus points for cooking once, eating twice!

Frittata tips you need to know:

1. Cut your leeks lengthwise and rinse them for a bit under cold, running water. Leeks tend to have a little dirt in between the layers. We only use the pale green and white parts. Toss the dark green tops.
2. When cleaning your shiitakes, do NOT rinse them under water. Mushrooms will absorb water and you will end up wondering why you’re serving a watery frittata. No one wants that. Just wipe any dirt off with a damp paper towel and call it done. You are also going to remove the stems as they tend to be tough. Mushroom stems are, however, perfect for making homemade stock, and if you are that kind of person, I admire you. I think I maybe used to be that kind of person, and maybe I will be again. But now is so not my season for making homemade stock. I’m cool with that.
3. Substitutions: This recipe is very forgiving. Can’t find shiitakes? Feel free to use another mushroom- just not those little white ones- they have zero flavor. Don’t do goat cheese? Leave it out. Out of bacon, but you have sausage in the freezer-swap it. Fritattas are an excellent way to clean out the fridge which makes them perfect for Sundays before you hit the grocery store for the week. The formula is this – 8 eggs, 1/4 cup heavy cream (you can use half and half, but cream is so much better), sautéed veggies, your choice of aromatics – garlic, shallot, herbs- and some sort of cheese. You can add in bacon or sausage if you like. (I like!) Or leave it out of meat isn’t your thing.
4. I also love using cast iron for this as it yields a beautiful caramelized edge, but you can use any oven safe skillet. But NOT a non-stick one. The non stick coating can break down in a hot oven and you really don’t want to eat Teflon. If you do not own a cast iron, I highly recommend investing in one. A good one will run you less than $20, and it is a cooking workhorse. Here is a link to the one I own.

We’re going to cook our bacon off first, and then remove it and set it off to the side. Pour off most of the bacon fat, but leave enough to coat the pan. We’re going to use the bacon fat to cook our veggies. Read the recipe carefully, but when your pan looks about like this, you’re ready to add in your goat cheese, and then the egg mixture. Don’t forget to taste the filling and adjust the salt and pepper first.

This Leek, Shiitake, Bacon and Goat Cheese Frittata will be in heavy weekend rotation on my table this fall and winter. And it received such rave reviews from my husband, I might just promote it to the Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast menu. And while it stands on it’s flavor alone, the thing that really steals my busy mama heart is the fact I can MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME!!!!! Three cheers for all make ahead recipes.

If you are on the hunt for other brunchy deliciousness, be sure to check out our Sausage, Spinach and Cheddar Quiche or our Jalapeño Cheddar Scones (so good). Or if sweet is more up your alley, our Chocolate Chip Scones made with almond flour and coconut sugar are probably the top recipe on the blog for good reason.

Happy cooking, friends!

Amanda

Leek, Shiitake, Bacon and Goat Cheese Frittata

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Savory, aromatic and cheesy this frittata is worthy of a celebratory brunch or is lovely way to treat your family on the weekend.

Yields: 8 pieces

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 slices bacon, sliced 1/4 inch thick (1 cup chopped)
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only (2 cups chopped)
• 8 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and stems discarded
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (3-4 large cloves)
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk eggs and cream together with the chopped thyme. Set aside.
3. Slice leeks lengthwise (white and pale green parts only-discard the dark green tops) and rinse under running water to remove any dirt. Then slice crosswise into 1/4 inch half moon slices. Set aside.
4. Heat a 10 inch cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium high heat.
5. Cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered.
6. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
7. Pour off most of the bacon fat, but leave enough to coat the pan
8. Add leeks and mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until leeks are translucent- about 5 minutes.
9. Add garlic and shallot and cook one minute
10. Add bacon back to the skillet.
11. Add goat cheese and stir to combine.
12. Taste filling and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
13. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil into the pan.
14. Pour egg mixture into the skillet and stir once.
15. Let sit on the stove two minutes and then transfer to oven.
16. Cook 10-12 minutes until eggs are set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

• Preparation time: 20
• Cook time: 25
• Total time: 45

Nutrition

• Calories: 194
• Fat: 14 grams
• Carbs: 5 grams
• Protein: 11 grams