Vegetable Fried Rice Frittata is a simple yet flavorful meal made using one skillet!
Goodbye Christmas cookies, hello vegetables.
It’s a new year and time for a fresh start.
Sometimes healthier foods can be bland and boring, but this isn’t one of them. I’m not saying this fritatta is the equivalent of raw celery sticks and kale leaves, but it’s better than cookies. It’s made by layering vegetables on top of a bed of seasoned rice, and they’re coated with creamy soup and eggs. It takes on an almost cheesy-like quality, even though no cheese was used. It’s vegetarian, gluten-free, and packed with protein from the eggs. And it comes together in five minutes, the best kind of healthy meal.
To make the frittata, I added frozen fried rice to the bottom of my cast iron skillet. I used Trader Joe’s frozen fried rice and I didn’t even bother thawing it first. I really don’t know how much frying of the fried rice Trader Joe’s does because it tastes more seasoned than fried but use pre-cooked brown rice or any rice you enjoy.
I coated the rice with a can of cream of mushroom soup and since cream-style soups are so thick, it created a cheesy texture without using cheese, which is nice in case you’ve eaten your fair share over the holidays. However, if you have shredded cheese and would like to use it, feel free to sprinkle a handful or two over the soup.
On top of the soup, I sprinkled a random assortment of produce-drawer vegetables over the rice. I used a combination of carrots, broccoli, and green beans. Most any vegetable including frozen peas, canned corn, fresh bell peppers, mushrooms, or onions will work. If you’re trying to work more vegetables into your life because you’re trying to get healthy in 2013, this is a perfect way to incorporate them. Plus, sneaking them into a frittata is one way to trick your kids or spouse into eating more, not that you’d ever want to trick them.
If you’d like to add some leftover shredded chicken, turkey, sausage, tofu, tempeh, previously cooked chickpeas or another favorite protein, go for it now. I’d go with a generous half-cup sprinkled over the vegetables.
Next, I beat four eggs and poured them over the top and then drizzled a couple tablespoons of olive oil for richness and flavor. I seasoned the frittata using Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning blend. Try anything from curry powder to cayenne pepper based on preferences. Prepared soup is quite salty and the frozen fried rice was already salted and seasoned so I omitted salt, but used a bit of black pepper.
I hoisted my heavy load into the oven and baked the frittata for 45 minutes. I pulled the skillet from the oven when the center had just barely set and wasn’t overly brown. Carryover heat from the hot skillet continues to cook the food, which is something to be mindful of when cooking with cast iron. Even when out of the oven, the food continues to cook as long as it remains in the cast iron. If you wait to pull food from the oven until it looks fully done, it will likely become over-done as it cools in the skillet.
I allowed the frittata to cool and set up in the skillet and then transferred the big golden disc to a cutting board, where I treated it as a ‘pizza’ and sliced it into six wedges. I’m on a roll with pizza lately. The wedges that weren’t eaten made great leftovers for lunch the following day. I reheated them in just a minute in the microwave. I love it when I can get two meals out of one cooking session. Cook once, eat twice; words to live by.
This was a hit with the family and it was packed with flavor from the rice, soup, and seasonings. The seasoned fried rice created a crusted rice base, and the vegetables that adorned it provided a bit of crunchy texture. The soup provided creaminess and a cheesy-like quality, minus the saturated fat. Scott liked that the eggs were creamy in the center and the edges stayed crispy and crunchy.
Skylar liked the pizza shape. Anything that’s shaped in the form of a slice of pizza slice is an automatic hit with kids.
I liked that it literally took me less than five minutes to prep and was a virtually no-work meal and healthier than a slice of this pie.
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Vegetable Fried Rice Frittata
Ingredients
- 4 cups fried rice, previously cooked (I use half of one 20-ounce bag of Trader Joe's frozen vegetable fried rice)
- one 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup or other cream style soup may be substituted, such as celery or potato
- ยฝ cup vegetables, diced (carrots, broccoli, corn, peas or a favorite; fresh, frozen, or canned)
- ยฝ cup previously cooked protein, diced and optional (beans, chicken, tofu, tempeh, pork, beef)
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- ยพ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning blend, Mrs. Dash, Trader Joe's 21 Salute, Lowry's, or similar
- salt and pepper, optional and to taste (both the fried rice and soup are likely already quite salted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and spray or grease a large oven-safe skillet (I use a Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 10-1/4-Inch Skillet , skillets from 9 to 12 inches in diameter will work). Add the rice to the skillet, covering the base in a flat layer (I don't bother unthawing the frozen fried rice and add it straight from bag to skillet). Sprinkle the vegetables and optional protein evenly over the rice. Add the soup and lightly spread it using a spatula because it's thick. Pour eggs evenly over the top of the soup. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with seasoning blend, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is golden browned and set, and edges have crisped up. Remember that if cooking in cast iron, there is a notable carryover cooking effect so food will continue to cook in the skillet and don't wait to pull frittata from oven until it's very browned because with carryover cooking factored in, it will become very tough. Slice and serve immediately. Slice leftover fritatta into wedges and wrap in plasticwrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Related Recipes:
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Cheezy Vegetable Bake (vegan, GF) – A can of soup is also used in this easy, one-pan vegetable bake. Nutritional yeast provides a cheezy quality which allows the dish to remain vegan if other ingredients used are vegan. I go through so much nutritional yeast in everything from popcorn to kale chips and buy it from iHerb with my monthly order. Enter code AVE630 to save an additional $5 on your order
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Do you have a favorite frittata recipe or cast iron or oven-safe skillet recipes?
What do you make for lighter or healthier dinners?
Fast and easy toss-together dinners using whatever is on hand or needs to be used up and baking it all in my cast iron skillet is one of my favorite tricks. You can make this recipe in an oven-safe baking dish or a 9-by-9-inch pan if you don’t have a skillet. I’m convinced that almost any combination of eggs, rice, potatoes, fresh or frozen vegetables, beans, corn, cheese or odds and ends will bake up just fine. We usually eat half of the batch one night, and then the day we’ve got lunches handled.
My cast iron skillet is jealous I’ve been using it for more savory items than Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Skillet Cookies
Have a great weekend!
Awww frittatas! So wonderful in everyday. Its the perfect breakfast food. Nice twist on this!
Mmmmm…. this looks delicious.
Lol! Yes to veggies in 2013! I love frittatas and I especially like the rice here!
This sounds so incredible! I am loving the addition of the rice!
What a fantastic idea! We always have way too much leftover rice sitting in the fridge, and my family isn’t a huge believer in just making fried rice whenever…but sneaking that stuff into this frittata sounds like a fantastic idea. Digging the thought of fried tofu and BBQ tempeh in there, too!
Frittata is a food scraps saver: I make one at least once a week to use up all small bits and pieces of cooked ingredients in the refrigerator, dressed up with vegetables and mushrooms, and binded together with eggs and cream. Perfect for breakfast (cereal is not a food for us) :)
Food scraps saver – yes it sure is! Glad you’re a fan of them too!
I am SO making this. Good thing I’m headed to TJ’s this weekend! :) Super delish Averie!
Oh, gurrrl, you got me! Especially with that fried rice thingamajigger. That is genius!
I keep seeing ALL your pics on every food site, on every pin board I go to…seriously girl I want it all, too! It all just looks amazing!
Good job lady! I love me some veggies! Can’t wait for dessert though. I know you have something ridiculously rich and tasty coming our way soon.
It’s SUCH a rarity that I have two savory recipes in a row…and all of 2013 may go by before this repeats itself :)
Yum! This looks great.
Bring on the veggies! These flavors are so fun for a frittata!
Oooh, I definitely need some healthier recipes this month, and this one looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. :)
I have seen those cinn rolls of yours on every food site. And I keep thinking about them. And about the potatoes in them. And vacillating if I should just go for it…they just look so incredible!
I make fritattas for breakfast quite often (5 eggs, 1/4 milk, approx. 1 cup chopped veggies, approx. 1/2 cup or more shredded cheese, s&p). I soften the veggies up in a cast iron pan on the stove for a few minutes (in butter), and then dump in the eggs, milk and cheese. Once this has started to set a bit (2 minutes maybe) I put it in a 350 F oven for 8 minutes. If still jiggly, then I broil for a minute or two.
I never have trouble sticking veggies in my meals, but it is ALWAYS wonderful to find new recipes using them. And you never shy away from giving us unique recipes with my beloved veggies, Averie. This dish would undoubtedly be good with any protein – but I feel like tofu would shine. I love tofu in my scrambled eggs. :) Frittatas are so easy and fun to make – the options are endless. I don’t make them enough! And like Skylar, i LOVE the pizza shape!! Did she dip this in ketchup? Please say yes!
Omg I DID give her ketchup with this one! Trust me, both she and I are major fans! Tofu in scrambled eggs…I need to resurrect that combo. I used to do it a lot!
This line up got to me, I’m sitting here after a couple of cups of coffee and no breakfast. I love to make frittatas for dinner and then eat the leftovers for breakfast. I love love love the sunny yellow frittata on the teal plate:)
Brinners. Breakfast-for-dinner are the best. And yes on the leftovers! And I loved that egg dish of yours the other day, which I saw on the food sites! I knew I had just made this but want to try yours!
I love the versatility of frittatas! This one looks great, and I think I could get my meat-loving husband to have this for dinner! The heartiness from the soup and eggs sounds perfect. And I love, love how quickly it all comes together! Loving your dinner ideas on here – you’re so creative!
And you can always toss in meat, too. I just opted to keep it vegetarian. Love frittatas because they’re so flexible!