fritatta...

not only is this my go-to dish for breakfast, brunch or even dinner, but it is one that i get requests for.  i first had this dish at a family friend's house for brunch many many years ago, and she made it in a pyrex bowl with tomatoes lining the bottom, and flipped it over for an impressive presentation.  since then i have made many variations of it and it is always a big hit.  here is my "usual" recipe, but the beauty of this dish is it can be made ahead of time, it is a good vegetarian breakfast alternative and you can put almost anything in it.  feel free to use different veggies, cheeses or add meat.

ingredients:

2 large potatoes
1 zucchini
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 can roasted chilies (4 oz)
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
8 eggs


how to:

i start with the potatoes, since they take the longest to cook.  i dice the potatoes into large chunks and bake at 375 degrees on a cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper until tender.  this usually takes about 25 minutes.

next, cut zucchini into thin rounds and then again into quarters.  dice onion and bell peppers, and saute everything together in a pan with olive oil and salt and pepper.

when potatoes are done, i grease a pie pan and line the bottom with the potatoes to make a "crust."

layer veggies, chilies and cheese on top.

beat 8 eggs and pour evenly on top.  bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until firm and cheese is golden.  we were so hungry when the fritatta came out of the oven, that i forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  you can serve this with fruit and muffins for brunch or grilled asparagus or a side salad for dinner.  enjoy!