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Cheesy Frittata

A skillet frittata made with low‑fat margarine, vegetables, egg substitute, cottage cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Tomato and basil are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,979 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Cheesy Frittata

Ovenbroiler

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the vegetables

  1. Preheat the broiler.

  2. Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat until hot.

  3. Melt the margarine in the skillet.

  4. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini, and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

  5. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and black pepper.

  6. Increase the heat to medium, and cook until the flavors blend, about 3 minutes more, then remove from heat.

Make the frittata

  1. Combine the egg substitute, cottage cheese, and milk in a blender, and process until smooth.

  2. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.

  3. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is set but the top is still slightly runny, about 5 minutes.

Broil and serve

  1. Place the skillet under the broiler, and cook until the top is set, about 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Sprinkle with the shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and cook until the cheese melts, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

  3. Remove from the oven, and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

690Calories
37 gProtein
39 gFat
50 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Cottage Cheese1/2 cup (113g) 2%98
Egg Substitute1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Red Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Plum1 medium (66g)30
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,979 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Pepper + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,294 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  3. Plum + tomatotop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,480 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  4. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,633 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Egg substitute sets into the structure that holds the frittata together.
Cottage cheese
Adds moisture and creaminess to the egg mixture as it sets.
Monterey jack cheese
Melts over the top to add richness and a golden, savoury layer.
Zucchini
Releases moisture and softens, adding body to the vegetable base.
Red bell pepper
Adds sweetness and colour as it softens and lightly browns.

The step that matters

Keep the top slightly runny before broiling. Egg proteins set as they heat, so overcooking on the stovetop makes the frittata tough and dry. Leaving the top slightly loose lets the broiler finish setting it gently and keeps it tender.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, plum, tomato, basil, egg, cottage cheese, evaporated milk):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Cucumberfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, plum, tomato, basil, egg, cottage cheese, evaporated milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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