I recently made this Baked Cheesy Silverbeet and Tomato Frittata with one of my in-home meal prep clients who had a craving for silverbeet. Oven baking means it’s not a traditional frittata but it is much faster and more reliable for mums in a hurry.
If you prefer to be more traditional, of course you can cook half the batch at a time in a frypan and then place in the oven to finish. The top image on this post is a frypan + bake version, while the image in the recipe block is baked in a square pan.
We used a whole bunch of the giant silverbeet spinach, as it cooks down a lot. Add chopped bacon or ham to switch to a meatier meal, but the cheese ensures it’s a filling dish. Makes two large family sized frittata or even more if you use the ‘Scale’ button below to increase quantities.
Silverbeet is chard is spinach
You can use any spinach in this recipe. Silverbeet is a variety of chard, which gets its name from the big white stems and veins although other chard varieties can have pink or yellow stems.
Spinach of any kind makes a classic combination with eggs and as long as you don’t cook the life out of it in the wilting process the silverbeet will keep a mild flavour. This Easy Baked Cheesy Silverbeet and Tomato Frittata is a good introduction for fussy eaters or any kids who like egg dishes but might have a preconceived idea of spinach being strong flavoured or slimy on its own. Alternatives to silverbeet in this recipe include any other chard, English spinach (with smaller, flatter leaves) or a big bag (or two!) of baby spinach leaves.
Kids in the kitchen tips
- Using a kid-safe knife, even quite young children can trace along the silverbeet ‘spines’ to slice out the leaf sections. Look at the white ‘veins’ that connect the leaf to the stem and talk about how that works to sustain the plant.
- Crack the eggs – if a piece of shell falls in, use a larger piece of shell to scoop it out.
- Decorating the top of a dish like this can be a lot of fun. It’s also a good way to encourage reluctant eaters to try something new because the child can claim ‘their’ corner or trimming ahead of baking.
Easy Baked Cheesy Silverbeet and Tomato Frittata
Equipment
- 1 large roasting dish or 2 smaller baking pans (eg 22cm square)
- baking paper
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- large frying pan
- stirrer/spatula
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large bunch silverbeet washed, stalk removed, and chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and chopped
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups grated cheese (eg, mozzarella or a 'pasta bake' mix)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (full or low fat)
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (or any cooked rice or small pasta)
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
- 1-2 tbsp fresh thyme or any green herb
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C and line two square or round cake pans with baking paper. Pans about 22cm wide are ideal.
- Put chopped silverbeet into a large frypan on medium-low heat with 1/4 cup of water and stir until wilted and water has evaporated.Add a little oil and mix through, then add the onion and garlic and cook with the silverbeet until they start to soften.
- While the silverbeet mix cools, beat the eggs in a large bowl and combine with both the cheeses and the rice. Save a little grated cheese for topping.
- Combine the slightly cooler silverbeet mix to the egg mix and stir to mix thoroughly.
- Pour into prepared pans. Top with the halved cherry tomatoes, thyme and some grated cheese.
- Bake until golden and cooked through. About 25 minutes in the smaller pans, 35-40 min in a large roasting dish. If top isn't browning by the time the centre is firm, turn on your oven's grill and quickly brown it that way.
To Serve
- Allow to cool slightly on a rack before serving with a side salad, or serve cold.
To Store
- Freezes well when wrapped in individual slices then laid out in a large zip lock bag.
Notes
- each family sized bake will easily feed four adults and could stretch to 8 adult servings with the addition of salad and/or bread.
- can be frozen whole or in single servings.
- Great for lunchboxes and picnics
- Use a different spinach variety if silverbeet isn't available - a large bag of baby spinach leaves would work too.
- Exchange brown rice for white rice, cooked pasta, cold roast potatoes or leave out. It's a great way to use up leftovers!
- Add chopped bacon or ham if you want a meatier version.
- Any grated cheese or combination of cheeses will work.
