Bacon, Mushroom, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

In our Entegra Aspire Motorcoach, I refer to the smell of bacon cooking in the morning as “the call of the wild.”  There’s nothing quite like the smell of sizzling bacon to get my husband, Brian, out of bed early with a smile on his face. I admit, I understand the desire created by this smell. While we have been living full-time in our Entegra Aspire for the past three years, I still find myself drooling every weekend as I walk our dog while fellow campers break out their Blackstone griddles to make breakfast.

What’s not to love about a big breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon, pancakes and more? The dirty dishes! Since we don’t travel with an outdoor griddle in our Entegra, I find that an extensive breakfast menu creates more dishes than I want to do before noon. What happens if it’s raining? Do you not eat? Personally, I’m a big fan of the frittata or crustless quiche.

What are the benefits of the frittata?

• It cooks in one pan.
• It can be a terrific way to use up leftovers from other meals.
• You can enjoy frittata hot, room temperature or cold.
• Leftovers reheat well and make a quick breakfast on moving days.
• You can serve frittata for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Frittata can reflect the season and is a great way to use vegetables purchased from local farmer’s markets.

With the 2022 asparagus season underway, I’m putting Bacon, Mushroom, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata on the menu at our Entegra dinette this month. It’s a delicious way to enjoy the flavors of spring!

The Recipe

Equipment Needed: microwave/convection oven, 10” oven-proof non-stick skillet, wooden spoon and spatula

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

12 ounces - smoked bacon, cut into ¾-inch pieces

1 - medium yellow onion, diced

10 ounces - sliced mushrooms (button, cremini or wild mushrooms)

16 ounces - asparagus, woody end discarded, cut into ½-inch pieces, tips reserved

10 - eggs

1 cup - milk (half and half or heavy whipping cream will work)

4 ounces - Goat Cheese, crumbled

Salt & pepper to taste

1 teaspoon - dried mustard powder (optional)

Lemon zest (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (see notes below about cooking in a convection/microwave).
2. Cook the bacon over medium-low heat until fully cooked and crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and discard all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease. (Alternatively, discard all bacon grease and add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.)
3. Add onions to the bacon grease. Sautee over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until just beginning to soften. 
4. Add mushrooms to the onions in the pan and sautee until the mushrooms begin to release liquid. 
5. Add asparagus pieces (reserving the tips) to the pan with the mushrooms and onions. Sautee for 1-2 minutes until the asparagus turns bright green.
6. While vegetables are cooking, break the eggs into a separate bowl, add milk and mustard powder (if using), season with salt and pepper, and use a fork or whisk to mix them before adding them to the pan.
7. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly across the bottom of the skillet.
8. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. 
9. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the edges start to pull away from the side of the pan (about 4-5 minutes).
10. Add bacon, goat cheese, asparagus tips and lemon zest to the top.
11. Move the pan to the preheated microwave/convection oven. Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until set in the middle. (See notes below.)
12. Remove from the oven, slice, serve, and enjoy!

Suggested Wine Pairing:

We enjoyed a delicious glass of Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley with our frittata. If you’re looking for other suggestions of wines to pair with this tasty frittata, I suggest trying a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling Prosecco or a light Vinho Verde from northern Portugal. Asparagus has a reputation for being tough to pair with wine, and these pairing options will play up the grassy green notes from the asparagus and goat cheese while offering some fruit sweetness. And if you’re concerned it’s too early to enjoy a glass of wine, you may prefer Vinho Verde or Prosecco, which tend to be slightly lower in alcohol than many other table wines.

Cooking in Your Entegra’s Convection/Microwave:

Here are a few things that have helped me get the results I’m looking for with our Entegra’s convection/microwave oven:

1. Read the manual! It took me a year to learn to place the oven rack on the lowest shelf and that it is unnecessary to remove the turntable every time I used the convection function.
2. Buy an oven thermometer and compare the temperature set with the temperature on the thermometer inside your oven.
3. Adjust the temperature on your unit. Our Entegra’s GE Profile has an option to adjust the baking temperature +/- 25 degrees.
4. Check what your cooking frequently, but be careful! You’ll lose 25-50 degrees every time you open the door.
5. Be patient. When I cook in our microwave/convection oven, I add additional time to the recipe. If I don’t need it, I consider it a bonus!
6. The cooking temperature for this recipe is the actual cooking temperature inside our Entegra’s microwave/convection oven.