When my oldest son was a toddler, he was a very picky eater. My son had three or four foods he would eat, and boy was I grateful for those. For a while, I was able to get good nutrients into him, but those days were short lived. At some point, he began to eat only chicken fingers, pasta with butter, and pizza.  As a young mother, this behavior worried me, but I knew he would grow out of it.

My younger son was the exact opposite. I home-made his baby food, but he had none of it. He wanted the same food the adults had, and gave up baby food at a very young age. I remember when he had his tonsils removed. In the recovery room, my husband told him he would go get him some ice cream. “NO” he yelled, “I want shrimp.” My husband and I and all the nurses in the recovery room cracked up.

Nowadays, my older son has a much healthier diet, but does not like vegetables. Sometimes the dinner menu is hard because of that, but I manage. My own diet has changed through the years too. I find that I can’t eat like I used to–I read the ingredients list carefully, and don’t eat anything with an ingredient I can’t pronounce. Both of my sons live with me, and I have changed their diets to include natural, fresh food. I only buy snacks that have beneficial ingredients, and I find that we are all adapting well.

This is one recipe that my family all agrees on. Leave it to Ina to come through for me. The potato makes this dish a hearty meal, so you can serve it anytime of the day. The ricotta cheese and the gruyere are a perfect combination of deliciousness. The basil is the savory touch in this dish and adds wonderful flavor that transfers beautifully into this irresistible frittata. This is a “must try!”

This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will serve 8 of even the most picky eaters.

Ingredients for Potato Basil Frittata:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups peeled and 1/2-inch-diced boiling potatoes (4 potatoes)
8 extra-large eggs
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 pound Gruyère cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat.

Add the potatoes and fry them until cooked through, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the ricotta, Gruyère, melted butter, salt, pepper, and basil.

Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder, and stir into the egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and place the pan in the center of the oven.

Bake the frittata until it is browned and puffed, 50 minutes to an hour.

It will be rounded and firm in the middle, and a knife inserted in the frittata should come out clean.

Serve hot.

It’s that simple!