Mexican Layered Frittata layers fluffy, baked eggs, melted cheese, refried beans, bright salsa, crisp tortilla chips, and fresh greens. Flavorful, gluten free Mexican Layered Frittata is guaranteed to be a hit for brunch or a quick weeknight dinner.
Growing up spring break didn’t involve us returning to school with beaded cornrow braids, peeling noses, or nautical bracelets. Instead we modestly road tripped from our Indiana home towards more unconventional locations such as Macon, Georgia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My parents chose these locals for one solitaire reason. My recently college-graduated brother could host them, my sisters, my grandma, and the friends we brought along in his one bedroom apartment.
My brother’s brief taste of adult freedom was descended upon before furniture was even secured for us to sit on. Logistics and foresight never weighs heavily with my parents when it comes to bringing our large family together. For these trips we weren’t doing a lot of sitting around a sparse apartment anyway. Our family was a roving troupe of a tourist association’s dream, soaking up any museum, attraction, or parkland being offered.
While spring break essays were being composed back at school, did I long for the trip my boastful schoolmates experienced with airports, sand, and water? Naturally. What kid wouldn’t? But when you are that age, or any age, a vacation is only as fun as the people you are sharing it with.
Fast forward 30 years and guess what our family did on spring break? Drove many miles visiting parks, going to museums, and descending upon more adequately equipped family members.
One leg of our journey brought us to my sister and her husband’s organic winery and farm in Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula. The kids squealed on jarring ATV rides, constructed secret fairy houses in the woods, excitedly delivered freshly deposited chicken eggs to us, and looked for Charlevoix stones on the icy beach.
The kids probably didn’t feel their spring break was very lackluster after spending a couple days with their very adventurous cousins. We drove away with some pretty happy, exhausted kids and the vague scent of chicken-poop-caked boots swirling around the car. Glamorous? No. Lots of memory-making good times? For real.
Mexican Layered Frittata
Back home, as I made dinner alone, Clara asked me if I had fun cooking with Jenny. My sister and I had spent a couple days harmoniously making lunches, packing snacks, and prepping dinners, effortlessly working with each other. Since Jenny’s life and location is a little more off the beaten path, cooking at her house is deemed by what is readily available in her fridge, freezer, or she has canned.
Jen will never be in a short supply of eggs and or homemade jarred salsa, so this Mexican Layered Frittata probably just saved her from a 2 hour round-trip to the grocery store. Even though we come by our eggs a little more conventionally, we are never in a short supply either. I use eggs all the time for a quick dinner and this recipe is especially beloved for it’s versatility. Layer it with your favorite toppings, or go to town on the adult’s side while leaving the other half more kid friendly. Try it and I promise you’ll be floored by the taste and how well these simple ingredients work together.
If you love frittatas as much as I do, also try my naturally gluten free Potato Crusted Ricotta Frittata and bake some Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits to go with it. Stay tuned for our other spring break adventures, and, of course, the great recipes to go with them.
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 10 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup refried beans
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
- optional toppings: chopped lettuce avocado, cilantro, sour cream
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Swirl the olive oil around the bottom and sides of a medium oven-proof skillet. Heat over medium heat.
Saute the onion in oil for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent and golden. Add the eggs and using a silicone spoon stir and fold the eggs until large curds just start to form, about 5 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup of cheddar and remove from heat.
Smooth the top of the frittata evenly in the pan and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top. Place in oven and bake 6-7 minutes or until set.
Meanwhile briefly heat refried beans in microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds, stirring halfway through.
Spread the beans over the cooked frittata and then sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips. Spoon salsa on top of the chips and layer with any additional desired toppings. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Hello fellow food lovers! I am a wife and mother of four who obsesses and contemplates food probably way too much. I refuse to eat mac and cheese and chicken nuggets every night until all my kids have flown the nest, so this is how a foodie feeds a family...
[…] Mexican Layered Frittata – Layers fluffy, baked eggs, melted cheese, refried beans, bright salsa, crisp tortilla chips, and fresh greens. […]