If you’re looking for an easy AND fun recipe to make with the kids, check out this Western frittata recipe I created as part of a shop that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #FusionClean #CollectiveBias
My two older boys have always enjoyed helping to prepare meals in the kitchen, especially my middle son! He jumps at any chance to help out in the kitchen, and I’m constantly amazed at how much he’s learned to do (he can really help!).
Getting Your Kids in the Kitchen
It’s so important to get kids in the kitchen to help prepare meals for so many reasons. First and foremost, your kids are MUCH more likely to eat a meal that they have helped to prepare!
Teaching your kids to prepare meals and snacks also teaches them an important life skill and allows you to help guide them towards making healthy choices. Rather than throwing something in the microwave, you can help them chef up a quick and healthy homemade meal!
When involving kids in the kitchen, it’s best to have a plan, or things can get chaotic! Great tasks to give the kids include:
- Getting out kitchen tools (safely) for the recipe
- Assembling ingredients
- Washing produce
- Dividing ingredients for different parts of the recipe
- Mixing ingredients
- Adding ingredients to the skillet or pot.
How to Make a Western Frittata
Certain recipes are easier than others to make with kids. If your kids are like mine, they love having breakfast for dinner, so a frittata is the perfect quick AND easy weeknight meal to make with your children. It’s also a great way to sneak some more veggies into their diet!
Frittatas are so versatile, because all you need is egg and whatever veggies and protein you have left in your fridge! The boys and I love to make a Western Frittata (a frittata version of the Western omelette), and I’m excited to share it with you guys!
You’ll need a dozen eggs, some bell peppers, Canadian bacon (you can substitute leftover ham or regular bacon too), 1 tbsp olive oil, shredded cheddar cheese and onion– that’s it! Combine the eggs, 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Mexican cheese blend works well too).
Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and cook 1/2 cup each of diced red onion, red bell pepper, and orange bell pepper until softened. Add in 1/2 cup chopped Canadian bacon and heat until warmed through. Pour egg mixture over the cooked ham and vegetables– make sure it’s distributed evenly. Let the mixture cook for a minute or so, until the egg mixture starts to set around the edge of the skillet.
Place the skillet into the oven and cook at 375° for 10-12 minutes, until browned on top. Remove from the oven and place an oven mitt over the handle, so you don’t accidentally burn yourself by grabbing it (I’ve unfortunately done that a few times!). Let the frittata cool and then run a knife along the outer edge of the skillet to loosen the frittata. Slide it onto a plate and cut it into 6-8 pieces like a pizza. A long knife or pizza cutter works great for this task!
Cleaning Up the Mess
Just as it’s important to find easy to prepare meals with kids, you need a good dish detergent to remove what’s left in the pan! I picked up the new Palmolive® Fusion Clean™ Baking Soda & Grapefruit Dish Liquid (there is also a Palmolive® Fusion Clean™ baking Soda & Lime Dish Liquid) while shopping for groceries at Walmart last week.
The ultra-concentrated formula of Palmolive® Fusion Clean™ gets rid of stuck-on food, letting you cook up a storm without stressing about the clean up after! Specially formulated for tough dish cleaning, Palmolive® Fusion Clean™ cleans 2.5 times more dishes than Palmolive® non-concentrated dish liquid!
You can snag a coupon for $0.25 off any Palmolive product (valid 4/10-4/23) on coupons.com.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup canadian bacon (chopped)
- 1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 orange bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 red onion (medium, diced)
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar (or Mexican blend cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Whisk eggs together in a bowl.
- Add cheese to egg mixture and set aside.
- Heat olive oil on medium and add onion, bell peppers, and canadian bacon.
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until veggies are softened a bit.
- Add egg/cheese mixture and cook on stovetop until the frittata starts to set up along the sides of the skillet.
- Remove from the cooktop and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until completely set and lightly browned on top.
Frittatas are easy and so delicious thanks for sharing this yummy recipe with us =) #client
You’re welcome! 🙂 We love them!