Broccoli, Cheddar & Spinach Frittata
This spinach, broccoli and cheddar frittata recipe is a simple breakfast, brunch or dinner! It's vegetarian and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Can we take an informal poll today? How many of you all secretly or not-so-secretly love cold, gloomy winter days? On the contrary, how many of you are desperate for warm, sunny spring days?
I’m firmly in the sunshine camp and generally assume that everyone else is in my camp, but my friend Mara lives for gray days. I don’t get it. I really don’t.
So, which side are you on? Either way, we’re here in the tail end of winter. This is the season when I crave cheesy, carb-heavy warmth via comfort food.
My solution to surviving winter and fitting into my spring wardrobe when the time comes is not to deny myself what I want, but to pack as much veggies and greens into it as possible. They offer bulk and fiber, not to mention vitamins and extra flavors.
This frittata was inspired by standard broccoli-cheddar quiche recipes, but I skipped the crust and added spinach for a boost of winter greens. It’s warm, rich and filling, and would go fabulously with roasted breakfast potatoes, whole-grain toast or a simple green side salad.
Frittatas are always great for brunch, but they’re also an easy weeknight dinner option. I steamed the broccoli in the pan for this frittata, so it’s a true one-skillet meal. It might not boast a revolutionary flavor combination, but it’s delicious and easy, and satisfies my comfort-food cravings.
Just be sure to start with high-quality ingredients. Organic brown eggs, spinach and delicious, freshly-grated cheddar go a long way in making this frittata taste stellar. I bought all of those ingredients at ALDI and my total at checkout was remarkably low. I love finding cost-saving solutions for healthy food that don’t sacrifice quality, and shopping at ALDI is one of them.
You can read more about why I appreciate ALDI stores in my sweet potato tostadas recipe, and check out their great healthy-eating resources, including recipes—including this frittata recipe, as well as videos and cooking tips on their blog, Hello, Healthy.
Watch How to Make Broccoli, Cheddar and Spinach Frittata
Broccoli, Cheddar & Spinach Frittata
This spinach, broccoli and cheddar frittata recipe is a simple breakfast, brunch or dinner! It’s vegetarian and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 large or 8 more modest slices.
Ingredients
- 8 SimplyNature Organic Cage Free Eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 2 small-to-medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon SimplyNature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more as needed
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 cups thinly sliced broccoli florets
- 2 cups SimplyNature Organic Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and about 5 twists of freshly ground black pepper until well blended. Then whisk in about half of the cheese, reserving the other half for later.
- In a 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or oven-safe sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli and water to the pan, then cover it with a lid (or a baking sheet) and steam the mixture until the broccoli is brighter green and easily pierced by a fork, about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover, and add the spinach and green onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach has wilted, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Arrange the mixture in an even layer across the skillet. Whisk the egg mixture one last time and pour it into the pan. Sprinkle the frittata with the remaining cheese. Put the pan in the oven and bake until you can shimmy the pan by the handle (careful, it’s hot!) and see that the middle is just barely set, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Once the frittata is done baking, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it into 6 large or 8 smaller wedges. Serve immediately. Leftover frittata will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Enjoy chilled or gently reheat.
Notes
Make it dairy free: Use a neutral-flavored, unsweetened non-dairy milk and omit the cheese.
Change it up: For a classic broccoli-cheddar frittata, simply omit the spinach. Or, substitute your greens of choice—baby arugula and chard would work well.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This post was created in partnership with ALDI and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
My son’s a vegetarian, it was a day before grocery day, I plugged my ingredients into google and this recipe came up. It was awesome! I have added it to me menu! Thanks, sometimes finding a quiche/frittata that isn’t wettish is hard – there are so many recipes and suggestions to follow! This was a perfect balance. And the direction to shimmy the pan to prove the center is ready.. and the wait til the oil shimmers! Awesome. Thanks.
How many carbs and fibers in 1 slice of broccoli,spinach frittata?
Every recipe of yours that I make always turns out delicious!! You never disappoint Kate! I love your cookbook too. It sits right on the counter and is my regular go to. Thanks!
Thank you, Sandi! I’m glad you trust my recipes.
My only contention is how can you make a frittatta or quiche without adding a hint of nutmeg? It brings out the richness of eggs and dairy so beautifully and adds some complexity that delights the taste buds. Still, thank you for this base recipe and the suggestion to use a cast iron pan! Looks lovely and can’t wait to try it.
I can’t say it’s something I have tried. Thank you for your feedback!
Nutmeg is the secret ingredient that can make almost any recipe better. A small amount of nutmeg adds a nice, pleasant, surprising zip to most foods!
Susan, how much would I use? 1/2 teaspoon for this recipe?
Thank you for NOT including nutmeg. Some of us abhor the flavor in a savory dish. It’s really easy to overdo it.
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
very nice recipe. I do mine on stove then when it is almost set place under broiler raises up quite a bit looks awesome. thank you and ” ‘ “Good Appetite “
I have made this countless times. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hi Kate! May I know how large your skillet/pan is?
Hi SA! It’s a 12-inch. I hope you try it.
Hello Kate. I love your book & recipies but a bit confused over the size of your skillet!! In your recipe you quote 10inch but your reply to SA last year was 12inch!!! Have I missed something.
Hi Susan. They are different recipes at different times so they vary slightly. I hope you try it!
I always use (and love) your other frittata method but usually wing it with extra veggies I have on hand. It’s slightly different with more eggs and less dairy. This time, neighbours were going away and dropped off a bunch of broccoli, spinach, and eggs so I decided to use this recipe instead. It was delicious, definitely one of my faves. Thanks so much for this and all of your great recipes!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it and added extra veggies.
Easy,delicious nutritious! thank you
You’re welcome, Barbara!
Made this tonight and it was great! I am not a huge fan of egg-based dishes, just a so-so fan (LOL), so I reduced the eggs from 8 to 6, upped the veggie amounts slightly, and cut back the cooking time by a minute or two. It was not “eggy” at all but WAS super delicious. It was light and flavorful and a great way to pack a lot of green veggies into a healthy dinner. Thanks for the great recipe!
I love frittatas, but have never made one with broccoli and cheddar. I had broccoli that I needed to use, and found this recipe. It is now my favorite frittata recipe. Used great ingredients, including my favorite aged cheddar, Kerrigold. Also, had some heavy cream left in the fridge and used that instead of milk. Just scrumptious! My husband loved it, too! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
You’re welcome, Lucia!
Well, damn. I never leave comments but my 20 month old and I both love it. I’m going to see how it freezes (for future toddler meals).
I’m interested in making this recipe using a non-stick muffin pan. Would you recommend any changes to the recipe if I do that?
Use my How to Make Frittatas (Stovetop or Baked) for some guidance!
This will be my Mother’s Day brunch recipe.
I’ve tried your other recipes and loved them.
Just a look at the ingredients tells me this is going to be fantastic. I trust you, Kate!
Happy Mother’s Day to you!
I hope it was a hit and that you had a wonderful day. Thank you for your review, Christy!
I made this last night and it was delicious. I prepped everything the night before, so it was easy to assemble. I followed the recipe exactly as written. This evening I had some heated up in toaster oven with some additional cheese on top. I also had a piece this morning for breakfast and ate that cold out of the frig. I used 100% grass fed whole milk.
This looks amazing & I intend to try it tomorrow, but I’d like to ask: How come you use 1/2 cup milk to 8 eggs in this recipe, whereas in your Basic Recipe you recommend only 3 T milk to 12 eggs? Thank you so much — your answer will help me know how to proceed.
Thanks for the great recipe! It is my go – to.