Make Breakfast for Mom on Mother's Day: ABC Frittata

It's something of a tradition to make Mom breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. Instead of soggy cereal or burned toast, why not try out a delicious recipe that the kids can even help make? Dad will have to get up early and get into the kitchen to supervise, but the results—and the look on Mom's face when she tastes the finished product—are worth it.

The recipe in question is the ABC Fritatta from our friend and fellow Marin mom Michelle Stern's new cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook: Celebrate the goodness of locally grown foods (182 pages, Adams Media, 2011; $17.95). Try whipping up this combination of fresh eggs, sweet apples, crisp bacon, and cheddar cheese (the "ABC" of the recipe title), and it may very well become a favorite in your house.

My kids love this recipe, both making it and eating it. Even our designated picky eater—our five-year-old daughter—thought it was great! It's great for breakfast or brunch or even a light supper, maybe paired with a fresh green salad.

ABC (Apple Bacon Cheddar) Frittata

From The Whole Family Cookbook by Michelle Stern

Serving Size: 4

Summary:
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.

Ingredients:
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

Directions:

1. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 450º.
3. Crack the eggs, one at a time, over a small bowl. After checking for stray shells, pour each egg into a medium bowl.
4. 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.
5. Using a whisk, beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined.
6. Grate the cheese.
7. Younger children can help you use a rotary cheese grater (which protects their skin)
8. Older children can use a box grater.
9. Add half of the grated cheese to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
10. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to your liking.
11. 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.
12. Once the bacon cools, crumble the strips with clean hands.
13. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the apple.
14. If you have an apple corer, you may use it.  Or, simply cut up the apple, leaving the core behind.
15. 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.
16. In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.
17. Add egg mixture to the skillet.
18. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles evenly over the eggs.
19. Gently arrange the apples on top of the egg mixture, in a circular pattern.
20. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
21. Move the skillet from the stovetop to the upper rack of your oven.
22. Bake until frittata is firm in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes.
23. Use a flexible spatula to loosen the frittata from the pan.
24. Carefully slide it onto a cutting board.
25. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges.