Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

From the kitchen of Carly

Tender asparagus and tangy goat cheese nestled in a creamy, custardy frittata cooked entirely in your rice cooker. It's effortless enough for breakfast, elegant enough for dinner, with just enough Tabasco kick to keep things interesting.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

Eggs, asparagus, and goat cheese in a rice cooker sounds weird until you taste the fluffy, custardy result. No need to hover over a skillet, no flipping required. The creamy base means the asparagus stays tender and the cheese melts into pockets of sharp richness. It's a breakfast that feels fancier than the effort involved.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 tbspolive oil
  • 1 tbspspring onion or green onion, white part only, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lbasparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-in/12-mm pieces
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 1/3 cupheavy cream
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1/4 tspTabasco sauce
  • 1/2 cupcrumbled goat cheese

Instructions

  1. Set a medium rice cooker to the regular cycle, or to quick cook if you have a fuzzy-logic machine. Add the olive oil, then scatter in the spring onion and let it sauté for 1 minute. Tip in the asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes, until it begins to soften. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and Tabasco into a smooth mixture, then pour it over the asparagus and finish with a generous scatter of crumbled goat cheese.

  2. Close the lid and reset the rice cooker to the regular cycle. The frittata needs 3 to 4 minutes to set, after which it should steam, covered, for an additional 6 minutes on the keep-warm setting or with the machine switched off (most rice cookers, including all fuzzy-logic models, handle this automatically). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Don't skip the 6-minute steam on keep-warm or off. That's where the residual heat sets the eggs fully without overcooking them at the edges.
  • Cut the asparagus into half-inch pieces so they cook through in the same time the eggs set, not before or after.
  • Taste the egg mixture before pouring it into the cooker. Tabasco is subtle, so add more if you want real heat.

Variations

  • Swap goat cheese for feta and add fresh dill and lemon zest for a Greek angle.
  • Use baby spinach or chopped kale instead of asparagus, adding it raw to the egg mixture before cooking.
  • Stir in crispy bacon or prosciutto bits and caramelized onions for a savory breakfast that doubles as lunch.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Eat cold or reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream to restore creaminess. Don't microwave, which will dry it out.