Baked Country Omelette

Made all in one pan, this Baked Country Omelette is topped with sautéed meat and vegetables that are baked with fluffy eggs. Deliciously savory, this will be a favorite on your breakfast or brunch table!

I make breakfast pretty much every morning, and once in a while I like everything cooked in one pan all at once. My Baked Country Omelette is just that!

My country omelette is part Frittata, part open-face omelette, and part crustless quiche. All of the toppings are cooked in advance, the eggs are poured into the same pan, and it's all popped into the oven until the eggs are just set.

This Country Omelette is perfect for saving time in the morning. You can prepare the toppings ahead of time, or even utilize leftover cooked meats and vegetables. A perfect, mostly hands-off breakfast!

Omelette vs. Frittata vs. Baked Country Omelette

There are as many recipes and techniques for omelettes and frittatas and other egg dishes as there are countries, cultures, and cooks. Don't ask me to choose a favorite method. They're all my favorite when they're on a plate in front of me 😍 Your ideas may vary. Don't get big mad if mine are different. Here's my take, in my kitchen:

A traditional omelette, whether American or French, is made of whisked eggs cooked in a pan on the stove, rolled or folded over fillings such as cheese, meats, and vegetables.

Frittatas are a traditional Italian egg dish, sort of like a crustless quiche. In my frittata recipes (the way I was taught) there is much more heavy cream, giving an almost cooked custard consistency to the eggs, with all the fillings suspended within.

A Baked Country Omelette is a sort of blend of those two methods. It is started on the stovetop, but instead of folding the cooked eggs over fillings, it is topped with ingredients and then baked in the oven to set, for a delicious open-face omelette moment.

Ingredients

My Baked Country Omelette is topped with my personal crave-worthy ingredients, potatoes, bacon, and mushrooms, along with the usual omelette suspects.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

A Baked Country Omelette is the perfect vehicle for whatever ingredients you like, so don't consider my ingredient list to be a mandate. You can make substitutions where needed and still bake up a delicious omelette.

• Vegetables - I used for 6 mini yukon gold potatoes, but you can sub with any small potatoes you have. I also call for 6 large cremini mushrooms, but you can, of course, use whatever size you have. Just try to keep all the pieces around ½ inch when cut.
• Herbs - I call for 2 tablespoons of chopped chives for a light onion plavor, but feel free to sub with fresh herbs of your liking. I actually ended up using a bit of parsley and dill I had hanging around, and I'm glad I did!
• Bacon - It has been brought to my attention that not everyone loves bacon. Hmm. Please feel free to substitute with ham or sausage for a different meaty take or leave meat out for a vegetarian version.
• Cheese - I love the nutty funk of Gruyère cheese, but you can use your favorite cheese, or none at all.
• Heavy cream - If you don't have/use heavy cream, crème fraîche, sour cream, and whole milk are excellent substitutes.
• Vegetarian - Continuing along in the vege-fication of this Baked Country Omelette, plant based milks, such as almond milk, are a good alternative to the heavy cream. Coconut milk would also add amazing flavor and fluffiness.

Omelette Variations

The great thing about this country omelette is the recipe is not written in stone. You can change this up based on ingredients on hand or to give it a cultural spin.

• Mexican - Skip the bacon and add sautéed chorizo. Add jalapeños if you like. In place of the Gruyère cheese, use melty Oaxaca or salty cotija cheese. Garnish with fresh cilantro and tomatoes before serving.
• Southern Country Omelette - Do you have leftover sausage gravy? Instead of (or along with) bacon, add dollops of sausage studded gravy on top of the eggs before baking.
• Topping forward - If you want this to be less eggy and more of a topping-centric omelette, reduce the eggs to 4 and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just set.

Instructions

Everything in this Baked Country Omelette is sautéed and baked in one pan, for easy cooking and cleanup!

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together your eggs, heavy cream, and a small pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.

2. In 10 inch cast iron skillet, or other heavy bottomed shallow pan over medium heat cook chopped bacon until fully cooked, but not quite crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.

3. In the same pan with the bacon grease, cook small potatoes that have been halved or quartered. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until nicely browned and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add to the plate with the bacon.

4. Continuing in the same pan, add mushrooms that have been halved or quartered. Sauté until nicely browned and caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the plate with the bacon and potatoes.

5. Take the pan off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When melted, add the whisked eggs to the pan.

6. Sprinkle Gruyère cheese on top of the eggs. Evenly distribute the bacon, mushrooms, and potatoes on top.

7. Bake in 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

8. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, and dill.

I'm not a big fan of serving savory breakfasts with a side of fruit, like I'm in a Denny's or something. However, I am here to normalize the breakfast salad! I prefer to serve my Baked Country Omelette with an arugula salad with thinly sliced red onion, sliced fresh mushrooms, and a light poppy seed vinaigrette.

Cast iron pan vs other pans

Everyone has their favorite egg cooking pan, and mine happens to be my 10 inch cast iron skillet. While I will occasionally reach for a nonstick pan, not everyone has one with a coating that is oven safe. Stainless steel can have nonstick properties, but they have to be brought to a specific temperature that many of us aren't mentally prepared for at 8 in the morning.

It's so much easier to get a nice caramelized sauté on each of the ingredients, and eggs cook more evenly, when using cast iron. For a soft and fluffy Baked Country Omelette, or my favorite frittata, I'm a cast iron girl all the way.

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