Frittatas are like omelettes, but without the drama and suspense of flipping and stirring. They’re incredibly easy to make, and you can put just about anything in them. Simply prepare your fillings, mix them with some eggs, pour the whole thing into a cast iron skillet and pop it in the oven. This recipe serves two people, and is cooked in an 8-inch pan, but you could certainly double or triple it and use a larger pan or casserole dish.

I like to heat the pan on the stove first, in order to ensure a nicely browned frittata, but this step is not necessary (or even particularly possible or safe) if you are making a much larger batch in a casserole dish.

In this version, I used leeks, mushrooms, and goat cheese as my filling ingredients. You can use any filling you’d like in an omelet.

A word on leeks — they grow in sandy soil, and it gets in all their little nooks and crannies. If you don’t rinse leeks before you cook with them, you will be sorry! I find the easiest way to wash them is to slice them first (you’ll need to wash your cutting board too), lengthwise and then into 1/2″ slices. Then, I place them in a large bowl, fill the bowl with cold water, and swish the leeks around vigorously with my hands. I wait a few minutes for the dirt to settle to the bottom of the bowl, then remove the leeks with a slotted spoon and dry them off in a salad spinner. This is the most fool-proof method I’ve found for removing all the grit, but I’d love to know if you’ve come up with a great method of your own!

Leek, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Frittata

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small (1″ diameter) leek, washed and in 1/2″ slices
6 crimini mushrooms (about 2.5 ounces), in 8″ slices
1/8 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. (about 1.5 ounces) goat cheese
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. (or less) olive oil (again)

1. Heat the olive oil in an 8″ cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add the leeks, mushrooms, and salt to the pan. Sautee until leeks have softened (but not browned) and mushrooms shrunken considerably. Set leeks and mushrooms aside to cool, and wipe out pan.

3. Preheat your oven to 400F.

4. In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to stir the eggs, goat cheese, and pepper together until the yolks and whites are completely blended and the goat cheese is spread throughout the mixture in lumps. Add the slightly cooled leeks and mushrooms to the egg mixture.

5. Heat up your pan on the stove again, this time over medium heat, adding just enough oil to coat it lightly. When the pan is hot, add the frittata mixture, then quickly put in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then broil until top is lightly browned.

6. Slice and serve.