Can You Bake A Frittata In A Glass Dish?

Whether you’re looking for a fabulous way to wow your family and friends at your next brunch or you just want to cook something delicious that you can reheat for breakfast during the week, a frittata is an excellent choice!

A frittata is a baked egg dish that is similar to quiche, minus the crust.

You can add pretty much any kind of ingredients to it that you enjoy including meats, veggies, cheeses, herbs, and spices. The word frittata is Italian and roughly translates to “fried.”

While most often you will see frittata cooked in a heavy cast iron pan, not all of us have one. Or, if we do, we don’t always want to spend half of our lives scraping dried eggs out of it.

If that’s the case you might be wondering if there’s another way.

So, can you bake a frittata in a glass dish? Absolutely you can! You might not get the same crispy crust on the bottom and sides that you’d get with cast iron and you may need to lower the temperature slightly, but you’ll still be able to create a delicious baked frittata!

Read on to discover more about how to bake a frittata in a glass dish for best results. Plus a simple and tasty frittata recipe!

What Is A Frittata?

Before we dive into whether or not you can bake a frittata in a glass dish, let’s figure out what a frittata actually is first.

Frittatas are an Italian egg-based dish, which, when translated, roughly means “fried”.

This dish is made of baked eggs that is similar to a quiche without the crust. If someone tells you that they’re making a crustless quiche they are essentially making a frittata!

To make a frittata you’ll need eggs, cream (not always, but it helps!), veggies, meat, cheese, herbs, and/or spices. Make sure you beat your eggs before adding in all the ingredients so you get a nice fluffy texture.

You can make your frittata as simple or as complicated as you like. A classic frittata is ham and asparagus, to which you could add mushrooms or cheese if you wanted.

However, the filling is completely customizable so don’t be afraid to get creative!

Try thinking of some of your favorite meat, cheese, herb, and veggie combos to come up with your favorite frittata.

You can serve them with sauce or as is and typically a frittata is served cold or at room temperature as opposed to hot. You could warm it a little if you prefer.

Can You Bake A Frittata In A Glass Dish?

Now that we know what a frittata is, let’s look at whether we can bake one in a glass dish. The simple answer is that you definitely can! There are a couple of things to keep in mind before you get started, though.

The bottom and edges may not get as crispy as cast iron since glass takes longer to heat up.

Glass dishes can’t be heated to temperatures above 350°F (sometimes 400°F) or they risk cracking/shattering.

Aside from these two small differences, you should be able to cook an absolutely delicious and flavorful frittata in a glass dish with no problems whatsoever!

How To Best Bake A Frittata In A Glass Dish

Now that we know that we can bake our frittata in a glass dish, we should figure out what we need to do to ensure the best possible texture.

Check The Safe Baking Temperature Of Your Glass Dish

Since glassware isn’t suited to super-high baking temperatures, you will want to check the cooking/baking information on the dish you have.

Some glass baking dishes can be used at temperatures up to 400°F, but most should be kept around 350°F.

Depending on your glass baking dish, you will want to make sure you don’t preheat the oven above the safe baking temperature.

If you go above this temperature, you run the risk of your glass baking dish shattering, making a big mess, and ultimately ruining your frittata.

Do Not Broil Your Glass Baking Dish

If you are tempted to get a crispy top on your frittata but are using a glass baking dish, do NOT try to broil it.

Broiling temperatures get up to around 500°F of pretty direct heat, which can lead to shattered glass in a pretty short amount of time.

Try Preheating Your Glass Baking Dish

If you want to get a crispier texture to the bottom of your frittata while using a glass baking dish, you can try preheating your dish while you mix up your ingredients.

When you pour your egg mixture into the hot glass dish, it will start that cooking process right away and, hopefully, give you a bit of a crispy crust to enjoy.

Make sure your egg mixture is at room temperature and not chilled since the contrasting temperatures could cause the glass to crack.

Remember not to preheat your glass dish above 350°F (400°F for some dishes—always check!) to ensure that it doesn’t shatter.

You Don’t Need To Grease Your Glass Dish

Most glass is non-stick, so you shouldn’t have to grease your bakeware to prevent the egg from sticking.

With that being said, greasing the glass dish with a little oil or butter before adding your frittata can help give you a slightly crispier crust.

Mushroom, Ham, And Asparagus Frittata Recipe

If you want to try making your own delicious frittata, this simple recipe is a great place to start. Remember that you can use it as a jumping-off point to create your own unique spin on this classic dish.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek or white onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 200 grams of mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 8 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
• 1 cup of your favorite ham, diced
• 1 cup of grated Gouda or old cheddar cheese
• A few twists of black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Place your 10-inch glass baking dish in the oven.
3. While the oven is preheating, heat a skillet over medium heat.
4. Add olive oil and let it heat up for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes or until softened and slightly browned.
6. In a bowl, whisk together the 12 eggs and cream.
7. Cut your asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the egg mixture.
8. Stir in the ham and cheese.
9. Stir in the mushroom, onion, and garlic mixture.
10. Add a few twists of black pepper and stir everything together.
11. Put on your oven mitts and take the baking dish out of the oven.
12. Pour the egg mixture into the glass baking dish and place it back in the oven.
13. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the middle is just set (you want it to jiggle and wobble a little bit when you shake the dish for a nice custardy filling).
14. Remove your frittata from the oven, let it cool, and enjoy!

How Do You Store Leftover Frittata In The Fridge?

If you have frittata leftover or you made a big batch to have for weekly breakfasts, you’ll want to properly store it for best results.

Follow these steps to store your leftover frittata in the fridge:

1. Let your frittata cool completely.
2. Cut it into serving sizes and remove it from the baking dish.
3. Place the pieces into an airtight container. Depending on how much you have left you may need two containers. If your container is tall, you can layer your leftovers just place a piece of plastic wrap between them to prevent sticking.
4. Take a piece of masking tape and write the date and contents on it.
5. Stick the tape to your container and place the leftovers in the fridge.
6. Consume it within 4-5 days.

Do Frittatas Puff Up While They Cook?

If you watch your frittata bake in the oven, you’ll notice that it puffs up. This is due to the air and moisture in the eggs.

However, once the frittata has been removed from the oven and cooled down, it will deflate and have a deliciously wobbly texture.

Should You Add Water To A Frittata?

If you want the best possible texture, we don’t recommend using water to thin out your frittata mixture. Full-fat dairy, like cream, is the best thing to use in order to get that custardy, wobbly, delicious texture.

If you choose not to add any dairy, the flavor and texture of your frittata will be eggier and less creamy than if you were to add cream and cheese, so it really boils down to your preference on whether you add any extra liquid or not.

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