Southwestern Oven Omelet for Easy Mornings

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. You know this. You learned it in school years ago. I know this first hand. If my kids attempt to do schoolwork without having eaten breakfast, things do not go well. Breakfast is my first line of defense as regards Hanger Management.

Having a few easy breakfast ideas up my sleeve helps make breakfasts happen quickly, without a lot of hassle. This Southwestern Oven Omelet is one of them.

An oven omelet is basically what it sounds like: an omelet that bakes in the oven. While individual omelets are super delicious and fun, they take a little work when you’re making them for a crowd.

Serving an oven omelet is a nice alternative to manning the omelet assembly line. The fillings are baked nestled inside the eggs, making it super easy to serve. This one boasts southwestern spices, flavorful chiles and peppers, and a good portion of sharp cheddar cheese.

How I make this good:

Whenever possible I like to cook with plain old ingredients. While the convenience of mixes and canned sauces is nice, I feel better about feeding my family just real food whenever possible. (Go here for some of my reasons on all that.)

With just a handful of ingredients this oven omelet is one of those real food recipes. Eggs, cheese, peppers, onions, and spices — and voila! Breakfast is served.

How I make this cheap:

Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe more economical:

Do a price comparison. I know that Costco is the best place to buy ingredients like bell peppers and eggs when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on canned green chiles, I buy a lot. The same goes for red bell peppers. Sprouts has had them for 50 cents a piece at different times this summer. I’ve bought 10-12 at a time!
Use more affordable alternatives. Green chiles not on sale are a small fortune! Buy fresh chiles in the produce section and chop them yourself. It’s not a huge deal to most recipes whether or not they are roasted, but roasting peppers and chiles is not difficult.
Store your cilantro so that it lasts! Most recipes only call for a handful of the fragrant herb, so stretch that purchase as far as you can.

Tools I use to make this recipe easy:

Egg dishes are great to make-ahead. You can whip this up the night before and store it in the fridge until morning, covered well — or slide it in the freezer (unbaked and well wrapped in heavy duty foil) for longer storage. You can make several at once and pull them out as needed.

Having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.

plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
Pyrex mixing measure bowl – I have had mine for almost 20 years!
wire whisk – I like this style with a sealed barrel. Then you can send it through the dishwasher.
Pyrex pie plate I have this one which is a little prettier than your standard glass pie plate.