Tater Mater Frittata

Tater Mater Frittata

(Recipe courtesy of Gail Fuller, as seen on Flavor NC)

    (slightly adapted to my taste)

Serves: 6

Taters and Maters are two of my favorite things!  Maybe it's a Southern thing, but you sometimes do hear potatoes called taters and tomatoes called maters. So, what could be better than a Tater Mater Frittata?  I just watched a PBS program, Flavor NC, and just had to try this recipe for brunch!  It would also make a great meatless supper too.  I used the Alexia crispy seasoned potato puffs, which made for a superbly seasoned crust!  

I didn't have large tomatoes on hand, so I used grape tomatoes instead. Not being a fan of spicy heat, I omitted the jalapenos.  

The verdict?  Excellent!  This may be my favorite frittata recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

½ bag frozen tater tots, thawed (for the crust)

6 eggs

1 Tablespoon oil

1 small onion, chopped

¼ cup chopped green pepper

1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes and chilies, original

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

¾ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup pickled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)

½ cup cream (or half and half)

1 Tablespoon cilantro or parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large tomato, thinly sliced (or hand full of grape tomatoes, halved)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To make potato crust:

·         Thaw tater tots and heat waffle iron.

·         Spread tater tots to completely cover waffle iron.  Close lid and cook for 5 minutes or until crust is crispy and brown. Set aside.

To make frittata:

·         Saute onion and pepper in oil until soft.

·         Beat the eggs vigorously and add the sautéed vegetables, Rotel tomatoes, green chilies, cheese, cumin, jalapeno pepper, and cream.  Stir to combine well.

·         Salt and pepper to taste.

·         Place potato crust in large (10-inch) oven proof skillet and pour egg mixture over the crust.

·         Arrange slices of tomato evenly on top of the frittata and sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.

·         Cook 2 minutes on stovetop over medium heat just until the edges are set.

·         Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until set and knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

·         Let cool before cutting into wedges and serving.

Note:  Gail Fuller of Raleigh, NC, took first place at the 2013 NC State Fair NC Egg Association cooking contest with this creative twist on the frittata.   The tater crust is awesome!