This easy baked omelet is stuffed with zucchini, onions, bacon and leeks, cradled in a rich egg custard laced with herbs and tangy Gruyere cheese.
You could also call this baked omelet a frittata. In fact the inspiration for this omelet came from a recipe for Zucchini and Leek Frittata from Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten. I loved her extra touch of garnishing the golden yellow top of the omelet with the delicate lacy shapes and bright orange color of zucchini blossoms. I’ve done that here with blossoms from the bumper crop in my own garden. If you don’t have access to garden zucchini, you might luck out and find squash blossoms at a farmer’s market. If not, the omelet is just fine without them.
Frittata is an Italian name for a baked omelet, and in Ina Garten’s original recipe she mixed in a few Italian touches such as pancetta and basil. But for me, leeks and Gruyere cheese say French, not Italian. So to bring the flavor profile firmly over to the French side, I replaced the pancetta with bacon and swapped out the basil for parsley. I don’t always like bacon when it’s stirred into dishes – I usually prefer it on top or separate so it stays crispy – but in this case it melts nicely into the eggs instead of asserting itself like chewy pancetta. As a final touch, I added a little extra flavor by replacing about half of the leeks with chopped red onion.
Once the bacon is crisped and the remaining filling ingredients – leeks, onions and zucchini – are sauteed and softened, you’ll pour over the rich egg-y custard, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until the custard is just set, not dry. I’ve used cream in the custard, which makes the omelet extra – well, creamy – but if you prefer to go lighter, use half and half or whole milk.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Baked omelets are great make-ahead dishes because they’re just as good at room temperature as when they’re hot from the oven. (Which also makes them great for picnics.) Make the omelet up to 2 hours ahead and let it sit at room temperature.
- Leftovers will keep 2 or 3 days and can be brought to room temperature, or gently warmed in the microwave or a 300-degree oven.
This recipe is adapted from Zucchini and Leek Frittata in Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten.
Baked Omelet with Zucchini and Gruyere
Ingredients
- 4 slices (4 ounces) bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise, washed and cut into ½-inch slices (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup chopped red onion (about ½ a medium onion)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), trimmed and thinly sliced into rounds
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream (or half and half, or whole milk)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 5 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
- 6 fresh squash blossoms (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 Put the bacon pieces in a cold, 10-inch oven proof skillet (preferably non-stick) and heat the skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp and browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Step 3 Add the leek and onion to the bacon fat and season them with generous pinches of kosher salt and pepper. Cook the leek and onion until they’re softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme and the zucchini, season with more salt and pepper, and cook until the zucchini is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, cream, parsley, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt if using Diamond Crystal brand (or ½ teaspoon of Morton’s), ½ teaspoon of pepper, and half of the cheese.
- Step 5 When the zucchini is soft, spread out the contents of the skillet into an even layer. Scatter the bacon pieces over the zucchini, then pour the egg mixture over all. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges of the eggs start to look dry and set.
- Step 6 Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. If you’re using the squash blossoms, arrange them on the top of the omelet in a spoke pattern. Transfer the omelet to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and golden and the center is just set.
- Step 7 Let the omelet sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve it from the pan, or gently slide it out onto a cutting board or platter to slice – if you’ve used a non-stick pan it should slide out easily.
