Diner Omelette
Ah, the diner omelette. Unlike the delicate, soft nature of the French omelette, these bad boys are meant to give you energy for a full day (or soak up a bad hangover). They’re rough and unpretty but taste delightful - especially since you’re in control of the fixings and flavors, so you can really create something to satisfy whatever you’re craving. I always recommend a veggie or two, and, of course, cheese - after that, whatever’s in the fridge is fair game.
Diner Omelette (makes 1 omelette)
2-3 eggs (depending on how hungry you are)
2 t butter
Salt and pepper
Fillings of your choice. Some tips!
I like to stick with 3 fillings max (not counting cheese) or the egg-to-filling ratio will be off
You also just want a little bit of everything. A few mushrooms. 1/8 of an onion. 1/4 c cheese. 1 small tomato. Again, keep in mind the egg-to-filling ratio. My recommendation is that you don’t want more filling that would fill the bottom of an omelette plan if spread into an even layer
Some recommended combos are after the recipe :)
Whisk together the eggs in a bowl with some salt and pepper and set aside.
In a small nonstick pan, you first want to pre-cook any fillings that need it. Of course you want to pre-cook any meat, but some veggies will need more time in the pan to get soft and flavorful. The way I gauge it, if you usually would need to cook a vegetable for more than 3 minutes for it to be palatable and cooked through (e.g. onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli) I’d pre-cook them. To do this, chop everything you want to pre-cook into small pieces. Add them to the pan with 1 t butter over medium high heat and cook to your doneness liking. DO NOT ADD CHEESE AT THIS TIME.
Remove the pan for the heat for 2-3 minutes, just to cool it down a bit. Add any remaining ingredients at this time BUT NOT CHEESE YET
Put the pan back on medium and add the eggs. Stir so the eggs and vegetables are combined, then spread the mixture so the whole bottom of the pan is covered (the eggs will probably still be very uncooked, so this shouldn’t be a problem)
With a silicon spatula, scrape small sections of the bottom of the pan to expose the bottom, then tilt the pan so uncooked eggs on the top fill it and begin to cook in the open section. Keep doing this little by little, until the whole bottom of the pan is covered and the eggs are starting to set on the top.
Now, you’re going to leave it on medium to help get the bottom of that omelette sturdy, for about a minute. NOW YOU CAN ADD THE CHEESE, sprinkled over the omelette.
Using your spatula, gently slide it under the eggs, loosening them from the pan, and fold one half of the omelette over top of the other. If the eggs are still runny in the middle let cook for one minute like that. This will also allow the cheese to melt.
Bring the pan over to your plate, and again use the spatula to gently go under the egg and loosen it from the pan, then tilt the pan and use the spatula to push the omelette on to your plate.
Serve with toast and hashbrowns for the full diner experience.
Some of my favorite combos!
Full on veg: onions, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes with cheddar or parmesan cheese in the middle
Caramelized onions and gruyere cheese for a French onion vibe
Onions and peppers, with salsa and cheddar cheese in the middle
Sausage, peppers and onions
Red onion and capers, with smoked salmon and cream cheese in the middle
Sausage, mushrooms, tomato and black olives with mozzarella for a pizza vibe
Bacon and chives, with cream cheese in the middle (kind of like a bagel - everything seasoning on top!)
The possibilities are endless