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
This is an easy vegetarian meal to toss together in just minutes, uses just one skillet, and is highly adaptable based on the what you have around and your preferences. The fried rice forms a crusty base, the creamy soup lends a cheesy quality, and the vegetables add healthy texture. The eggs and centers stays soft while the edges crisp up. A simple yet flavorful one skillet meal. The frittata may be baked in a 9-by-9-inch pan or similar oven-safe baking dish.
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)
- 1/2 cup vegetables, diced (carrots, broccoli, corn, peas or a favorite; fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1/2 cup previously cooked protein, diced and optional (beans, chicken, tofu, tempeh, pork, beef)
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 3/4 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 Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 465Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 1566mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 23g
Related Recipes:
Vegetable Lasagna Casserole (vegan, GF) – A non-traditional lasagna that’s packed with texture and loaded with vegetables. The lasagna ‘noodle’ is a made from shredded carrots and zucchini, formed into a pancake, then topped with vegetables, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and baked. Easy to keep vegan, gluten-free, and a lightened up twist on traditional lasagna
Creamy and Crispy Hash Browns Frittata – Similar to today’s recipe, but instead of rice hash browns are used and it’s a fast brinner (breakfast-for-dinner) or brunch to throw together in virtually no time. The cream-style soup gives the frittata an almost cheesy-like quality. The eggs are creamy and the potatoes crisp up, creating both softness and a bit of crispy texture and crunch
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
Spicy Baked Eggs and Hash Brown Frittata (vegetarian, GF)- Frozen spinach is incorporated in this easy and fast eggs with a slightly spicy kick
Cheesy Taco Casserole (gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan) – Like tacos, but baked into casserole form, complete with rice and beans. Makes planned leftovers that can be frozen for those nights you don’t have time or energy to make something from scratch. This one is a hit with the family
Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata – Red peppers, spinach, and eggs are used in this easy and flavorful quickie meal
Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato and Zucchini Fritters (vegetarian, GF) – Baking rather than frying grated zucchini and carrots makes for a healthier twist on traditional fried potato-based fritters, so you can have extra now
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!
Wow! This looks awesome :) I bet potatoes would go great in there as well- potatoes go well in just about any kind of frittata. Thanks for sharing, I will have to give this a try!
Do you think the recipe would work without the cream soup? I could just add some milk to the eggs and maybe some cheese.
Sounds good to me! Make sure to season it b/c the soup has spices and a fair amount of salt, so make sure to season properly and you’ll be fine. If you have any sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, you could use that instead of the soup, too; with some shredded cheese worked in. This is a super flexible recipe. Just adjust baking time as needed and season it and you’re good!
I am loving the look of your recipes! But one thing I wanted to let you know. Cream of anything soups usually have wheat flour and modified food starch which may contain wheat as well. So they contain gluten. Maybe you know of brands that don’t have these ingredients, but the Campbell’s brand does for sure. Let us know if you have found a brand without wheat. Can’t wait to try your recipes!
Thank you for this versatile recipe which I have tweaked to suit our needs! I used quinoa instead of the rice, didn’t have the soup so just added cream to the eggs, don’t have a fancy skillet so started the process on the stove for 1/2 the time then finished by grilling in the oven (with handle sticking out the door)! It tasted fantastic! Many thanks.
So glad you tried it and adapted it to fit your needs and what you had and that it worked out so well for you!
Yes!! Ani and Sarah…and Jewel’s first album “Pieces of You.” (Before she turned country.) I never made it to Lileth Fair. :( Wow, great memories though! I kind of miss browsing through CD stores and the excitement of popping a new purchase into a bulky player. I think we would have been fast friends…maybe even gotten into a bit of mischief too. ;-)
Moody Blue is practically begging me to make this! :) Cream of mushroom soup is kind of a guilty (because it’s from a can) pleasure for me- it makes me think of angsty college days, Tori Amos and Dave Matthews Band. I’m sure the soup is even more fabulous in this frittata!
I love that you have a nickname for our skillet…and I love it! And that you’re a Tori and a DMB fan…should have known! I’ve seen them both many times in concert and have vivid, fond, and angsty college memories of blaring Tori (and Dave) and also seeing her live in concert and having to save up for, banging at that piano. And maybe a little Sarah McLaughlin and Lileth Fair and some Ani di Franco and the whole gang circa mid 90s. Wow – not about the food but thanks for the trip down memory lane :)
I love frittatas! They’re such an easy to make dinner. Adding rice is a great idea; I also want to try pasta in one. I’m surprised it look so long to bake. I saute veggies for a few minutes, then add 8 eggs, and cook on the stove top until they start to set, followed by a couple minutes in the broiler. One of my favorite dinners!
The pan literally must have weighed a good 5-6 lbs with everything in it! No way it could be done in less than that time…it was soooo heavy and loaded up!
i love rice…and vegetables…love how creative to add eggs and turn into a Frittata. my hubby does not care for rice..UGH…and I could eat it every night for dinner…so i will be cooking up this one when hubby is away and then me and the kiddos can enjoy all to our smiley selves.
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!
Frittatas and veggie bakes are the best “meal savers” for time and ingredients. I like the soup in there–it adds extra creaminess. I think I’ve made all of the related recipes except the spicy eggs and hash browns! All excellent, and the sweet potato fritters were definitely a favorite of my husband’s. We just finished lunch (your pepperoni pizza–I used crescent rolls and I put the pan out on the gas grill). It’s about 19 degrees out so I gave myself a big pat on the back for pulling it off. The base would have baked more evenly in a real oven, but it worked!
19F out and you’re grilling. Bless you! That reminds me of my parents who live in MN and will grill in that kind of weather and until it’s nearly freezing, my mom hangs clothes on clothelines to dry! Glad you enjoyed the pizza and the C.R. dough and all those related recipes…wow! Thanks as always for making all of it!
I love a veggie-packed frittata, this looks fab!
Thanks for the pin, too!
Love this! So warming and savory: don’t get me wrong, I love a nice sweet when it’s cold out, but something about creamy, salty, savory stuff just seems to call my name. And mushrooms! Love this one…
See for me, I would seriously just drink cup after cup of coffee (or hot chocolate) and go for something warm and sweet & gooey but ya know. This may be a little healthier than hot cinnamon rolls for instance :)
This sounds like such a great weeknight meal! Plus, you had me at fried rice. One of my very favorites : )
I don’t know who you are, making me think that vegetable mess up there looks delicious, but stop that. Stop that right now.
Lol and I think even the most vegetable-resistant types may even get on board with it!
This looks like a great dish that could last for many meals around my house! I’ve been making a lot of eggy dishes with polenta lately – I wonder if I could do something like that here? Trader Joe’s really does carry everything you could ever need. Every time I go in there I discover some new amazing product. It’s hard to keep my money in my wallet there!
I almost never use polenta (thanks for the reminder) and yes you could just swap that in for the crust/base. Really just about anything with a few cracked eggs and some creamy soup on it will work…I’ve used leftover spaghetti noodles as the base, leftover spiral pasta noodles, hash browns, you name it!
Packaged fried rice? What will trader joes think of next? I love the idea of adding a creamy soup to this. It could easily be made dairy-free with a different type of base. Love it! I think my favorite way to enjoy eggs is soft boiled style so that the insides are still runny and can be soaked up with toast. Mmm!
It’s frozen and it’s like 1.99 for a big bag. It’s so easy because I can literally unthaw 1 cup or whatever we need in like 5 minutes and it just saves so much time. And it’s already seasoned and ready to go for dishes like this!
I rather like dishes served up in the shape of a pizza too ;-) I recently made a vegan frittata using silken tofu. It turned out incredible. My sister (not veg) wanted the recipe even. I added in a splash of apple cider vinegar and it gave it a very rich, buttery taste without any butter.
A splash of ACV on anything is perfect to me!
Mmmmmmmm, guuuuuurl.
I like the change of pace around here, there’s only so many cookies one can bake and eat! Plus, I’m more of a savory food person than sweets anyways. This looks delicious.
Don’t get too excited or anything. I thought about that though after I posted this…2 savory dishes in a row. Well, I’ll make up for that in the weeks to come :)
Funny–anything in the shape of a pizza slice is a hit with the kids–so true!! Love the frittata–so many great ingredients all in one skillet. And so easy to modify with whatever you might have on hand. :)
What a fun idea! The creaminess of this frittata is definitely calling my name!
I love how creamy it looks!
I am definitely in need of some healthy delicious food in my life! I love this rice crust! And all the veggies! Wish I could reach into my screen and grab a slice.
I have never made a frittata like this before! Looks wicked good! I am a big fan of making them at the end of the week when I have a ton of veggies that need to be used up before my next shopping trip.
Freaking love this! I could seriously have this for every meal of the day!
I actually made a frittata recipe recently and I used all these lingering veggies I had in the fridge. It was the perfect way to use them up instead of letting them rot in there.
They’re such an easy way to use up all those odds & ends for sure!