Bacon, Mushroom and Parmesan Frittata plus a welcome kitchen guest

So, I need something for breakfast that I can cook on the weekend and store in the fridge for the grab-and go kind of mornings we all have during the week.  The solution?  Frittata.  FRITTATA!!  A glorious Italian baked omelet thingy.  Yes, that's the technical term-- thingy.  Hey, it's the weekend!  Give me a break.  Food Scientists have to turn their brains off sometimes just like everyone else. 

Frittata is similar to quiche, but there is less cream and no crust.  But still completely delicious!  You can mix up the veggies however you wish.  You could even bake about 1 Tbsp of egg mixture in a mini muffin pan and serve them at room temp with sour cream as a protein-packed appetizer (those only need to bake about 15 minutes). 

Now, say hello to my little friend.  I found him crawling around on the windowsill.  He told me Spring is on the way.  Yay!

Now, a word about bacon.  I love it.  Do you?  Of course you do.  But-- do you like cooking it?  I don't.  I hate going through a dozen paper towels cooking it in the microwave or cleaning the entire kitchen after making it on the stove.  The solution-- your oven.  Yep!  Just line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, put a layer of bacon slices on it, put the whole tray in a cold oven, turn the oven temp to 425 degrees, and WALK AWAY.  Leave it for 20 to 25 minutes, and viola!  Perfectly cooked bacon.  Remove the slices from the pan and let drain on a plate with paper towels.  If you like it a bit crispier, leave it in the oven for an extra 5 minutes.

Here's my recipe and how I put it together.

Bacon, Mushroom and Parmesan Frittata
1 russet potato, peeled and cubed
4 lg. cremini mushrooms, cut in half and sliced thin
3 green onions, white and green parts sliced thin
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt, divided
5 Tbsp grated fresh Parmesan, divided (NOT the stuff in the green can)
5 whole large eggs, beaten
5 large egg whites, beaten (save the yolks for making homemade pudding-- coming soon)
1/4 cup half and half or milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cherry tomatoes, sliced

1.  Place the russet potatoes in a microwave safe dish and cover with water.  Cover the container and microwave on high for 4 minutes.  Drain.  I used a glass bowl with a plate for a lid.  You could also substitute 1 to 1-1/2 cups of Ore-Ida Southern Style Hash Browns and thaw them out. Wink wink!

2.  Bake bacon according to directions listed above, slice into little bits.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a 9" x 13" nonstick pan with oil and set aside.

3.  Place about 1 Tbsp of drippings from the bacon pan in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add drained cooked potato, mushrooms, green onions, and thyme to pan with 1/2 tsp salt.  Saute about 10 to 12 minutes, or until potato is lightly brown and mushrooms are cooked through.  Remove from heat and cool.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and eggs.  Add half and half, 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, black pepper and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir well.

5.  When the potato mixture is cool, add it to the egg mixture and stir well.  Pour into prepared pan.  Dot the top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp Parmesan.

6.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and the center is no longer jiggly.  Let stand 10 minutes.

7.  Slice and serve!  I ate a slice, then let the rest cool.  I removed them from the pan and put in a container between pieces of waxed paper.  Now all I have to do is zap a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds and I have breakfast all week!  It also freezes well-- just thaw overnight and zap in the morning.  Enjoy!