Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata
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If frittatas have ever left you a little underwhelmed, this zucchini and cheddar version will win you over.
I always love the idea of a frittata. In about 30 minutes, you can turn whatever vegetables, meat, or cheese you have hanging around into a meal. 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 cheddar frittata, however, is what a frittata should be: it’s creamy and delicate, almost like a crustless quiche, and a few little tricks make all the difference. Squeeze as much water as possible out of the zucchini, add some heavy cream and plenty of cheese to the eggs— and, finally, bake the whole thing in a low-temperature oven, instead of the traditional stovetop-to-broiler method. The gentle heat gives the eggs a soft, custardy texture without overcooking them.
Serve it for brunch with my strawberry orange fruit salad, or pair it with crusty bread for an easy lunch or dinner.
“Absolutely delightful. Make this!!”
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A zucchini frittata
- Zucchini: The star of the frittata, adding tenderness and a mild, fresh taste. Be sure to wring it out well after grating; removing the excess moisture keeps the frittata from turning watery.
- Unsalted Butter: Used to sauté the zucchini and shallots, adding richness while also keeping the frittata from sticking to the pan.
- Shallots: Add a delicate oniony sweetness that complements the mild zucchini without overpowering it.
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Season both the zucchini as it cooks and the egg mixture, ensuring the frittata is well seasoned throughout.
- Eggs: Form the base of the frittata.
- Heavy Cream: Makes the eggs softer and more tender, giving the frittata a creamy consistency rather than a firm, rubbery one.
- Cheddar Cheese: Melts throughout the frittata, bringing sharpness and richness that contrast nicely with the mild zucchini.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Grate and dry the zucchini. Grate the zucchini, then wrap it in several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much water as you can, repeating with fresh paper towels if needed. Zucchini holds a surprising amount of water, and removing it keeps that excess moisture from ending up in the frittata. Small zucchini are a good choice here since they tend to be less watery.
Step 2: Cook the shallots and zucchini. Sauté the shallots and zucchini in the butter until the zucchini is tender and cooked down. This also gives any remaining moisture from the zucchini a chance to cook off before it’s added to the eggs.
Step 3: Make the egg mixture. While the zucchini cooks, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper until well combined. There’s no need to whisk aggressively or incorporate lots of air; you’re just looking for an even mixture.
Step 4: Assemble the frittata. Stir the cooked zucchini and cheese into the egg mixture, then pour everything back into the pan. Spread the zucchini around if needed so it’s fairly evenly distributed before the pan goes into the oven.
Step 5: Bake and serve. Bake until the frittata is just set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Try not to overbake it—the eggs will continue to cook a bit from the heat of the pan after it comes out of the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature. The frittata will keep nicely in the fridge for a few days; freeze for longer storage.
More Brunch-Worthy Egg Recipes
Zucchini & Cheddar Frittata
Ingredients
- 1 lb zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots, from 1 to 2 shallots
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1¼ cups (5 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- 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-in (25-cm) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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This was fantastic. First recipe I’ve made from this site and I will definitely come back for more.
I had to wing it in some ways with the ingredients on hand and it still came out perfectly. I had two large zucchinis, which did not seem like too much, and squeezed them in a dish towel. No heavy cream so I used oat milk creamer. And I used a sweet onion instead of a shallot. Also I cooked it in a cast-iron pan. It was fantastic! My only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it. 🙂 Will double the recipe next time.
Amazingly easy and oh so yummy. I am not a very good cook, but I made this for dinner and it turned out exactly like Jenn’s pictures. That NEVER happens! It was so light & fluffy. The only change I made was I used red onion since my grocery didn’t have any shallots. My husband liked it so much he went back for thirds. I’ve already bought more zucchini to make it again.
Made this today and it was big hit! Will definitely make again. Going to try the zucchini fritters for guest this weekend.
This was delicious! My husband said it was excellent!
Made this for the first time today and it will definitely stay in our weekend breakfast rotation. My almost 3 yo( who is very very picky!!!) called this “ delicious egg pizza”. I went with it and he ate his whole serving!!! Also my 6yo devoured it before his fruit, bacon and toast lol. Two thumbs up from the whole family. Nothing brings me more satisfaction than cooking a meal that the whole family enjoys, thank you!!!
A couple of changes I made- didn’t have heavy cream but used creme fraiche instead and thinned it out with some whole milk. Also, added a tbsp of fresh basil to the egg mixture and used gruyere cheese instead bc it’s what I had in the fridge 😉
Delicious! I mixed this up in the morning, stuck in refrigerator until dinner. Baked in 9” nonstick cake pan. Put under broiler for five minutes – watching carefully. Would definitely make this again!
I believe I have reviewed this in the past, but it really deserves and encore. We have made a lot of frittatas over the years, but this one stands out above all of them. It really does have a quiche-like texture and the leftovers are fabulous!
Fantastic recipe— don’t usually follow recipes for frittatas, usually use up whatever vegetables I find in the fridge, add eggs and cheese on top, cook it in the pan and broil it to finish the top, but it was worth following this to snap out of the routine. This is a restaurant-like frittata and using butter and shallots and cooking it in the oven really gives a sophisticated result. I had no cream so I used whole milk, same quantity as the cream. Thanks Jen for livening up my week day lunches!
Just made it tonight and it was fantastic. As another reviewer mentioned, I rolled the shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel and that did the trick. I didn’t have heavy cream so I combined 1 tbsp of mayo with some half and half to make it thick and substituted another tbsp of mayo for one egg. I had a previous zuke recipe that used a mayo/eggs combo and for some reason it gives it an extra zing. I also sprinkled a little less than a 1/4 c of Progresso Italian breadcrumbs on top but that adds about 25 calories to each serving so just be aware of that.
Can I prep all the ingredients and bake in a pie plate, rather than the pan?
Thx
Sure, that should work. Enjoy!
Can I bake the day before and then reheat the next morning? Suggested time and temp for reheat?
TIA
Hi Judy, that’s fine. You could either reheat it in the microwave (that’s probably what I’d do) or in the oven. If you reheat it in the oven, I’d cover it with foil and put it in a 325-degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was so good but it was very rich. I made some changes to my recipe and it was still really nice and cooked perfectly! I did zucchini and broccoli with cheddar jack because that’s what I had. I think no matter how you changed the veggies or cheese it would be delicious. Next time I will use much less butter and cheese and less heavy cream to save some calories and make it less rich.