Cooking 101: Mastering the Omelet

Is there a more perfect food than the egg? Inexpensive, versatile and flavorful. Fried, boiled, poached, scrambled…it really is one of the most versatile foods in your fridge.

Hungry but the fridge is bare? Omelets are one of the best ways to use up little bits of leftovers when there isn’t enough of any ingredient to make another meal. Instead of tossing out those remnants of food grab a couple of eggs, some cheese and the omelet comes to the rescue. It takes just a few minutes to cook up a satisfying meal. Let me show you how easy it is to master the art of making an omelet.

Toss any of these items into an omelet, just be sure to either dice them into small bits or slice them thinly:

  • mushrooms
  • onions
  • bell peppers
  • ham
  • leftover steak meat
  • parsley
  • bacon
  • sausage
  • tomatoes
  • green onions
  • chives

Start by melting some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add what ever veggies you may have in your fridge. Cook them until they soften and brown up a bit.

So colorful! Mmmm….

I used some sliced leftover peppers and mushrooms from hosting a Racklette dinner party. You’ve never heard of a Racklette? What is it? You can read all about what it is and how much fun it can be here. It’s one kitchen gadget that I love pulling out! It’s a great tool for effortless entertaining! It will bring your kids to the table and keep them engaged in conversation. I know it sounds like a miracle, but it is possible!

Ok, back to the omelet. While the veggies are sautéing in the pan, grate about a 1/4 cup of cheese, or more, no judgement here. Anything melty works, Cheddar, Jack, Havarti, use your favorite.

Love me some Cheddar! Cheddar never disappoints.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, a tablespoon milk, and a pinch of salt.

Add beaten egg to the veggies in the pan and allow eggs to set up.

TIP: Using a spatula push the edges of the egg towards the center of the pan letting the runny portion of the eggs flow out toward the edges of the pan. Continue doing this until the eggs are almost cooked through.

Push the mostly cooked egg toward the front edge of the pan and flip the eggs over. I recommend doing this over the sink, just in case you can’t get it flipped all the way. Don’t stress too much about getting it flipped perfectly. Even if it is a disaster, you have a plan B, a veggie scramble. Been there done that. It may not look as pretty but it will still taste delicious. Hey it happens.

Top with a nice helping of grated cheese and fold the egg over in half. Reduce heat and continue to cook until cheese has melted. Flip over and cook on the other side.

I like to cook an omelet “well done”. I don’t care for runny eggs so my favorite way to cook an omelet is lightly browned to ensure the eggs are cooked through and the cheese is completely melted. This is a total personal preference kind of thing.

The one goal you do want with a perfectly cooked omelet is to make sure the cheese is completely melted. The goal is a light fluffy omelet with a cheesy, gooey hot center!

Top with some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with a side of toast and sausage or crisply fried bacon.

Learn about the different methods of cooking bacon and how to cook the perfect strips of bacon here. Nothing better than a few strips of crisp bacon to go along with that omelet.

TIP: Up the flavor profile by frying up a couple strips of bacon in the pan and using the bacon fat to cook the omelet instead of using butter.

Oh yah! Time to dig in!!!