Bacon-Goat Cheese Frittata Sandwich Recipe

If you've never made a frittata before, don't be discouraged by the swanky name. While frittatas might seem like the type of breakfast you'd reserve for fancy garden parties, put one on a sandwich and you suddenly have a handheld masterpiece to go. And, really, it makes sense to make breakfast sandwiches this way: Since a frittata is simply an egg bake with the consistency of a quiche, it's actually an easy way to make a sandwich filling in no time. Even easier than scrambling eggs, a frittata comes together in as little as 30 minutes with just a skillet and your oven. 

In this recipe, developed with Michelle McGlinn, the frittata is filled with crispy bacon, goat cheese, and leeks, and then it's piled onto ciabatta with a lemony arugula and asparagus salad. It's the perfect sandwich for spring veggie lovers, with a mild, fresh flavor and a creamy texture. Best of all, frittatas are both easy to make and easy to clean up — that's a good way to start any day of the week.

For the frittata, you'll need roughly ½ pound of thick-cut bacon, ½ dozen eggs, milk, salt, pepper, olive oil, chopped leeks, and crumbled goat cheese. You'll only need the white part of the leek, so choose a smaller-sized leek or plan to save leftover leeks for another recipe, such as potato and leek soup. For the leafy green topping, you'll also need arugula, asparagus, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard. To tie it all together, you'll just need ciabatta rolls. You can also use a loaf of ciabatta sliced into 4 sections.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Arrange the bacon on a foil-lined sheet tray.

Bake until crispy, about 15–20 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an 8- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Add leeks and saute until soft, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Finely chop the bacon and add it to the skillet.

Add the egg mixture.

Sprinkle the goat cheese into the skillet.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until set, about 10–15 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Slowly drizzle the remaining ¼ cup olive oil into the dressing, whisking continuously.

Toss the dressing with the arugula and asparagus.

Once set, slice the frittata into 4 squares.

Divide the frittata among the ciabatta rolls, then top with the arugula mixture to serve.

Ciabatta is a white, crusty bread known for its big air bubbles and powdery exterior. Though it has a hard crust, the interior is chewier and more moist than the average Italian loaf. It's often sliced lengthwise and used for crusty sandwiches. Ciabatta can also be baked into rolls that make great sandwiches, especially for breakfast, as eggs and bacon fit well between the chewy crusts. 

These sandwiches don't have to be limited to ciabatta, though. For a similar bread, you can simply use slices of French or Italian bread sliced in half lengthwise so that the crust is on the top and bottom. You can also use English muffins (we recommend toasting them first), or brioche buns that you'd use for burgers. For a soft, flavorful bread option, try using focaccia, which you can make yourself and load up with more spring vegetables (the rest of the leeks, perhaps). If all else fails, a bagel never disappoints.

While this recipe provides a springy, refreshing sandwich filled with veggies, the topping possibilities are endless. You can keep the sandwich as-is and simply add tomato, cucumber, or mashed avocado on top of the arugula and asparagus salad. If you aren't feeling your breakfast greens, you can swap out the salad for a flavorful sauce, such as hot sauce, sriracha mayo, or our favorite, an herby garlic aioli. You can also add more cheese, such as white cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack. You can also add to your frittata, too, filling it with even more options.Try roasted red pepper or sun-dried tomatoes, or you can add fontina or mozzarella to make it even more cheesy. Though this loaded-up frittata sandwich hardly needs sides, you can serve this with crispy sweet potato latkes, a breakfast hash, a vegan tofu scramble, or a fruit smoothie to make it a full meal.