Puffy Omelette with Cheddar and Chives

When thinking about cooking on a budget, I find myself harking back to recipes I learned in college or as a young bride.  I’ve learned a lot since those days (I’m certainly a more accomplished cook than I was then) but, when I’m faced with a challenge that requires frugal living it’s those early dishes that come to mind. The lessons we learn about thrift as young adults are usually hard-earned, and they tend to stay with us for life.  In middle age I find that my mind often travels along those long-familiar paths, and I find reassurance in revisiting skills I know to be useful.

This recipe dates back to my first years out on my own, while I was in secretarial school:

I had only three eggs in the fridge, a few carrots, some onions, and no money in my bank account with which to buy more food.  Supper was looming large on my mind.  What could I make for two people with so little on hand?

A school chum came to the rescue, teaching me how to make those three eggs into a beautiful, puffy omelette; turning almost nothing into really something.  Paired with a salad of shredded carrot and onion, we felt like we were dining at the Ritz!

I haven’t seen my school chum since we finished the course but I think of her every time I make this dish.  It has become a staple at our house and I remain grateful to her for her kindness in sharing it.  It’s delicious whether made just with eggs, salt, and pepper, or with whatever amendments we happen to have on hand.

Yesterday I made a puffy omelette for supper, flavoured with cheddar cheese and chives.  It was a pretty dish, inexpensive to make, and perfect for our Meatless Monday meal.

I made an omelette for two.  If you’re feeding more than two people, increase the number of eggs by two for each additional serving.  Up to six eggs may be used in a single, large pan but if you are using more than that, I’d recommend making two omelettes, in two separate pans.

To make a Puffy Omelette with Cheese and Chives, you’ll need:

• 4 eggs
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped chives
• A little butter or oil for the pan
• Salt, pepper, and/or whatever other seasonings you care to add

Begin by separating the eggs. 

Put the yolks into a medium-sized bowl and beat them.  Add in the cheese and chives and stir so that the yolks coat them.  It will not look like enough liquid, but it is.  Don’t add more.

Whip the egg whites until they’re very stiff.

Take about 1/3 of the egg white and fold it into the egg yolk, cheese, and chive mixture.  Try to be gentle, and to avoid collapsing the whites any more than you have to.  It’s okay if a few streaks of unincorporated white remain.

Fold the mixture with the egg yolks in it into the remaining egg whites, again retaining as much volume as possible.

Place a 10-inch non-stick pan on medium heat.  (If the pan’s handle is not oven safe, you should wrap it in foil.)  Turn on your broiler.

When the pan is hot, melt in a little butter or add a small amount of oil.  Turn the pan so that the butter or oil coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

Turn the omelette mixture into the pan, spread it out into an even layer, and season it.  Leave it on the heat just until the bottom of the omelette is set.

Transfer the omelette to under the broiler, keeping it some distance from the flame or broiler element.  I place mine on the middle rack in my oven.)  Allow it to brown (Watch it carefully!) then turn off the broiler and leave the omelette in the oven’s residual heat until the middle dries and sets.

To serve the omelette, you can either fold it in half and then serve one half of the folded omelette to each person or you can do as I do, cutting the omelette into quarters and stacking two quarters on top of each other on each plate. 

However you choose to serve it, serve it immediately in order to retain as much volume as possible.

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This post is linked to Gallery of Favorites hosted by Premeditated Leftovers and The 21st Century Housewife, the Pity Party at Thirty Handmade Days, to Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, to Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff, to Scrumptious Sunday Link Party hosted by Addicted to Recipes, to Think Pink Sunday hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sunday Round-up hosted by Heatherly Loves and Kayla's Creations, to Craft-o-Maniac Monday hosted by Craft-o-Maniac, Makin' You Crave Monday hosted by Mrs. Happy Homemaker, and Delicious Dish Tuesday hosted by Full Time Mama, Mama Chocolate, and Coping with Frugality, Tuesday To Do Party hosted by The Blackberry Vine, to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed With Grace, to Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, to Whole Food Wednesday hosted by Beyond the Peel, and to Watch'a Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's SugarShack, to Wonderful Wednesday hosted by Printabelle, to Crafty Scrappy Happy Me Thursday, to Thursday's Treasures hosted by Recipes for My Boys, and to Tastetastic Thursday hosted by A Little Nosh.