Strata Frittata Recipe

I was thinking about the stratosphere and then the stratus in geography, obviously layers, and came up with this idea for a frittata.  Funny thing, months after this recipe appeared in my head and on a piece of scrap paper, Clinton Kelly on The Chew had on the show a frittata also using hash brown potatoes. (They said he was a 'genius'.)Seriously, I had it first. Just didn't publish it until now.  Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Strata Frittata (prep. time 30 minutes. Serves 6-8)

1 dozen eggs

½ C. sour cream

¼ C. milk

2 C. baby spinach leaves

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1 C. sliced mushrooms

½ onion thinly sliced

½ orange bell pepper thinly sliced

3 C. shredded (hash brown) potatoes

2 C. shredded Gruyere cheese

1 C. mozzarella cheese

1 Tb. dry or shredded fresh basil

salt, pepper

2 Tb. butter

1 Tb. olive oil 

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions until they start to soften then stir in the bell pepper while the onions continue to caramelize.  As the peppers start to become tender, stir in the mushroom slices.  Remove the cooked vegetables and place them in separate piles.  Lay the tomato to the pan, briefly cooking  (only about 20 seconds) until the slices start to become tender and release their juices.  Remove from the pan. Set aside 3 good-looking spinach leaves and put the rest in the pan (add a little more oil if needed).  Cook until the leaves just start to wilt.  Cook the hash brown potatoes until they just start to brown. Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk and additional salt and pepper.  Melt 1 Tb. butter in a sauté pan and spoon in half of the egg mixture, cooking until curds just start to form.  Allow to cool a little before stirring the curds back into the rest of the egg mixture.  Heat oven to 375. Melt the other Tb. butter in a cast iron fry pan and coat the bottom and sides with the melted butter.  Remove from heat.  Lay the reserved spinach leaves in a pattern in the center of the pan and gently top with the partially-cooked hash browns. Sprinkle a layer of Gruyere cheese over the potato.  Spoon a layer of egg over the cheese. Layer the mozzarella over the eggs. Layer the tomato slices on top of the cheese and the basil on top of the tomato. Spoon another layer of eggs over the tomato, followed by a layer of Gruyere, followed by a layer of spinach topped with the mushroom, followed by another layer of egg, topped with the remaining Gruyere and a layer of caramelized onions and bell pepper and finish with the remaining egg.  Bake for about 15 minutes until the eggs are totally set.  Allow the frittata to cook about five minutes in the pan on a rack.  Run a knife around the edge of the frittata. Place a large plate upside down over the top of the pan and flip the pan and plate over.  Slice the frittata into wedges and serve warm (preferably with fresh orange juice Mimosas).

Thanks to Down to Earth Whole Foods on Grant Avenue, Endicott for bringing you Foodie Fridays.  Natural products can be at your door anytime. $25 or more, "Anything in the store to your door" free delivery in a 25 mile radius.