Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata
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Filled with heaps of shredded zucchini and extra-sharp cheddar, this zucchini frittata is good for brunch, dinner, or anytime in between.
I always love the idea of a frittata. Within 30 minutes, you can whip up a meal that makes good use of any leftover veggies, meat, or hunks of cheese hiding out in the fridge. But for all their perks, frittatas can often be a bit “meh” — for the same calories, give me a slice of quiche any day! This zucchini frittata, however, is what a frittata should be: packed with flavor, creamy, and delicate, almost like a crustless quiche. There are three secrets to success: 1) squeeze as much water as possible out of the zucchini; 2) add some heavy cream and lots of cheese to the egg mixture; and 3) bake the frittata in a low-temperature oven, instead of the traditional stovetop-to-broiler method, so the eggs cook gently into a custard without scrambling.
Ingredients For zucchini frittata
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by grating the zucchini by hand or in a food processor. It’s best to use small zucchini, as they contain less water. 
Once grated, place the zucchini on several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much water as possible. Depending on how much water is in the zucchini, you may need to repeat this step.
Next, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast iron or oven-proof nonstick pan.
Add the shallots, zucchini, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and cooked down.
Meanwhile, combine the eggs, remaining salt, pepper and heavy cream in a large bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add the cooked zucchini and grated cheese to the egg mixture and stir.
Pour the frittata mixture back into the pan.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until just set.
Serve the frittata warm or room temperature.
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Zucchini & Cheddar Frittata
Filled with heaps of shredded zucchini and extra-sharp cheddar, this zucchini frittata is good for brunch, dinner, or anytime in between.
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots, from 1-2 shallots
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1¼ cup (5 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Using a food processor or box grater, grate the zucchini. Place the grated zucchini on top of several layers of paper towels and wring dry. If necessary, repeat 1 to 2 times to remove any excess moisture.
- In a 10-inch cast iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, zucchini, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the moisture evaporates and the zucchini is tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, a heaping ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Add the cooked zucchini and grated cheese to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour the frittata mixture into the pan (no need to wash it), then place in the oven and bake until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately place a dish towel or oven mitt over the pan handle after you remove it from the oven; it's easy to forget that it's hot and burn your hand.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked frittata can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the frittata from the freezer about 24 hours prior to serving and reheat it in the microwave or, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 460
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 23g
- Sodium: 681 mg
- Cholesterol: 458 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I roasted zucchini, leeks and mushrooms in the oven with olive oil and salt & pepper (concentrating their flavor). Then followed the recipe. Excellent!
Just delicious and everything you promised it would be! This was the first recipe I tried on your site and I will definitely be trying more. Thank you for providing an excellent resource for cooks who want to develop their skills.
Sitting eating this as I type. Absolutely delicious
Being someone that loves quiche, I have passed over this recipe many times; however, I needed something fast and easy to throw together and tried this. It is absolutely amazing! My family and I were blown away!!
You didn’t say what temp for the oven for the zucchini frittata
Hi Holly, the frittata should be baked at 325°F/165°C. Enjoy!
Yum yum! So easy and a great way to use up the garden’s bounty! Have to confess I added a finely diced jalapeño to meet my husband’s love of heat!
Hi Jen, I made this before and got rave reviews!
This time around I don’t have heavy cream…could I get away with using whole milk instead of cream? Perhaps a longer bake time? Thanks!
Hi Ali, Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can get away with using whole milk here; it just won’t be as creamy. The bake time should remain the same.
I think I have commented on this already but this recipe is worth another – just lovely dinner; we both enjoyed it a LOT and with zucchini season it is really inexpensive. Fed two of us and same amounts left over. This is a really light, healthy economical and delicious dinner. Thanks again.
excellent love it!
hi there new here..can I halve this recipe with good results?? tia..huggzz
Hi Gail, You could but you’ll need to use a smaller skillet. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Excellent recipe! Had it last night for dinner. Eating leftovers this morning for breakfast.
Would like to make the Zucchini Frittata and the Crustless Broccoli Quiche in mini muffin pans. I need to make 24 of each. Will the recipes as written make that amount or do I have to increase the ingredients? Also how long do you think they will have to be baked? I am having a thank you brunch for women on 1/23. Thanks so much for your help, your always great recipes and foolproof instructions! I am a big fan.
Hi Lynda, You can make both of these in a muffin tin — just keep in mind that they may be more delicate. (Several readers have commented that they have made mini versions successfully.) If you’d like to serve 24 using regular-sized muffin tins, I’d guesstimate that you’d need to 1.5 x the recipe for the frittata and 2 x the recipe for the broccoli quiche (but I’ve never tried either of these this way so I’m not 100 percent certain how many serving that will give you). And I’d start checking them at 30 minutes for doneness. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Lynda, I’d guesstimate that you may need to make 1.5 times the recipe to have enough filling. Please keep in mind that I’ve never done this and so that’s just an estimate. In terms of baking time, I’d start checking at about 15 minutes. Hope that helps, and that everyone enjoys!
This was so easy to make and excellent! I was t sure if the scallions were supposed to be green onions, but in any case I used French scallions and it was delicious. Thank you!
I only have a 12-inch skillet. How can adapt this recipe using a baking dish? Thank you!
Hi Mindy a few readers have commented that they’ve used an 8-inch baking dish and have been happy with how it came out. Just make sure to treat the dish with butter or cooking spray first. Enjoy!
I realized I had a 10-inch skillet and the frittata came out beautifully! Another winner!
👍
Delicious! Savoury and satisfying. I made it for a brunch pot luck and it was a hit. I don’t have an ovenproof skillet so I used a deep frying pan and transferred to a ceramic baking dish. I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 because I wanted to use 12 eggs, most of it I put in the big dish, with enough left over for 9 small “muffins” in a silicone muffin tray. I wanted to taste it without cutting into the big dish! The muffins cooked in 20 mins and main dish in 35 (because it was so big). I substituted the cream for plain yoghurt and used an electric whisk to get the lumps smooth. Thank you for sharing! Will be a new favourite. PS could I prepare this the night before and keep in the fridge until ready to bake in the morning? has anyone tried this? Thanks!
So glad you like it! Yes, I think it would be fine to create the egg mixture the night before and then bake it in the morning.
This is my second time making this, and we love the flavor. But my zucchini is a pile of mush. Should I be using the smaller blades on my food processor?
Hi Kate, Sorry you’ve had a problem with the texture of the zucchini. Are you using the grating attachment on your food processor?
Did you get a lot of liquid out of the zucchini when you squeezed it? I used a clean cotton tea towel, which I learned from a different recipe with shredded zucchini. I find it easier to squeeze than paper towel! (Don’t use a favourite one because it could stain green). Zucchini can contain a lot of water 🙂
Love your recipes. I need to make breakfast for a larger number of people. If making in a 9x 13 pan would doubling the recipe be appropriate and if so how long should it cook? Thank you!!
Hi Karin, So glad you like the recipes! Yes, I’d double the recipe if you plan to use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.The cooking time will be longer; I’d guess you’d need to add about 15 minutes but keep an eye on it. (It will be done when it’s set.) Hope you enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you Jenn for sharing this recipe.
Hi Jenn,
I’ve been following your blog for years and so many of your recipes are my “go to’s”. I’ve been making this zucchini frittata for years now but haven’t made it in a while. Did you change the recipe a bit? I feel like there are now more eggs than before? My family commented on this tonight, too. The frittata felt like quite a large meal. Larger than before. Not sure if we’re going a bit nuts or if the recipe is in fact different than before. 😂
Hi Krissy, so glad you like the frittata and, no, you’re not going crazy! I did tweak the recipe by adding two more eggs as I felt like it wasn’t substantial enough before. 🙂
Perfect – Easy, delicious, perfect proportions. Great reminder about leaving the pan handle wrapped with a towel after removing it from the oven. I wish I’d followed that advice 🙂
I love this recipe! I make it for my husband as a quick breakfast almost every week ☺️ I’m making a dinner for a woman who had surgery this week and was wondering if I could make this into a quiche? If so should I reduce the amount of eggs?
Hi Rachel, so glad you like this! Unfortunately, tweaking this to make it a quiche would require more than cutting back on the eggs. If you’d like a zucchini quiche recipe, I’d look specifically for a recipe for that. Sorry!
Delicious! The cream and the ‘slow’ bake in the oven (versus starting the cook on the stovetop) really make this a fantastic dish.
This was fabulous. Everything I make from your cookbook or blog is delicious- THANK YOU for what you do!
This is the most delicious and flavourful frittata! A great way to use the zucchini from my garden!! Easy and bakes up beautifully!
A lovely summer dinner with a side salad! Thanks Jenn!
I don’t have a cast iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet. Can I bake the frittata in a glass baking dish?
Yep 🙂
Thank you. I appreciate always getting a reply for my questions!
Great way to use zucchini Fluffy and delicious.
Question can I use part eggs and part egg whites??
Sure, Cheryl, that will work. Enjoy!
Beautiful, sweet lovely frittata!! Best I’ve ever had.
This was delicious. I have SO MUCH zucchini in my garden – I will definitely be making this again. I’d love to add a crust and try it as a quiche.
I made this frittata today for Father’s Day and it was a hit. It took an extra four minutes in the oven – it was just perfect. I love not cooking the eggs on the stove top before putting in the oven like other frittata recipes I have made. Delish!
This looks amazing but half my family can’t eat dairy.
What product would you use to exchange the heavy cream for something non dairy?
I know what cheese I would use but could use some advice for the cream.
Hi Andrea, Thanks for your note. For a non-dairy option, some readers have commented that they’ve used Rich’s non-dairy coffee creamer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s unflavored non-dairy creamer. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried either of these.) I hope that helps! 🙂
I’ve never had a frittata before this one and I’m saving this recipe- delicious. I took a tip from another commenter and doubled it and cooked it in a 12” cast iron skillet. I cooked it for 35 minutes. Thank you
So Delicious and so so EASY to make. Thank you Jenn for another winning recipe. We love so many of your recipes and we know that anyone we try will turn out to be a winner. I have three children, so mealtimes can be challenging. This recipe is easy to whip together for any meal of the day and it is a crowd pleaser. We live in Toronto, Canada so I used half and half instead of the heavy cream and used medium cheddar – turned out amazing. I always wanted to try this recipe but thought it would not turn out quite right when I make it. Well, was I wrong, so for all of you wanting to try it – go for it – it is easy and fast and so delicious.
Jenn – if I wanted to use 9 eggs instead of 6 in a 10 inch nonstick pan – how would you adjust the recipe?
Hi Annie, So glad you enjoyed it! For 9 eggs, I’d increase all the other ingredients by 1/3. You may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes. Enjoy!
This recipe is terrific. I altered some of the ingredients due to what was in-house: added 1/2 red pepper diced, substituted smoked Gouda in place of the cheddar, and substituted red onion for the shallot. I really squeezed out the zucchini prior to sautéing. Excellent!!
This was awesome! I substituted plain full fat Greek yogurt for cream.
This is amazing. A beautiful presentation for any meal. A few changes-supplemented 2% Greek yogurt and a tbs of Mayo for richness in lieu of heavy cream. Also used red onion and diced jalapeño. Oh my. Hubby loves loves loves. ❤️
Made with Gruyère Cheese instead of Cheddar Cheese and the family loved it. Another amazing recipe Jenn.
This was very nice. Even my son who doesn’t care for zucchini thought it was really good. I did double the whole thing and baked in a 12” skillet. That would have fed 3-4 adults (at least the way my family eats).
i accidentally add 1/2 cup cream instead of 1/4 cup cream. What should I do to fix it.
i baked extra 8 minutes and it turned out fine. I baked this ahead, so I can just warm up tonight when we are ready for family dinner. 🙂
I have some left over ricotta and I’m wondering if I can incorporate it into this recipe, perhaps in place of the cheddar or the cream? Thanks!
Sure, Tanya, I think you could use it in place of the cream. Hope you enjoy!
The foodies in my house, a 14 year old, 58 yr old and 72 yr old, including me loved the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing this!!! We will be trying out the spinach version this weekend.
This was absolutely delicious! Incredibly creamy and tasty. This recipe is a definite keeper. I added a few chopped grape tomatoes for a little color. Sooooooo good!!!
Can I bake this in a corning ware casserole dish if sprayed with Pam? I want to make this for company and only have 1 nonstick pan.
Sure, Kim, I think that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!
Do you think that this frittata or the spinach one could be adapted to be cooked on a sheet pan? That way I can make it for a crowd. Thanks!
Hi Karen, I suspect it could, but I don’t know how you’d need to change the recipe quantities or what the cook time would be. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jen! Can I make this in a Le Creuset enameled cast iron braiser for prettier presentation? Will it bake well it or do you still recommend a saute pan?
Thanks!
Liza
Sure, Liza, I think that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!
Great flavor and texture. Will make again!
Delicious! I made this easy frittata this morning to go with a bowl of watermelon. I am an average cook but my skills are always elevated when I use Jenny’s recipes.