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As Mother’s Day approaches I often find myself reminiscing about the time my mother and I spent together in the kitchen. Her busy work schedule rarely permitted long leisurely afternoons at the stove and the time we spent cooking together, regretfully, was limited. Her recipes, out of necessity, were easy and quick. One of my favorites was a traditional Italian dish that she referred to simply as fried potatoes and eggs. I suppose today we might call it a frittata; but to her, back then, it was what it was—fried potatoes and eggs.
Meatless meals were not served frequently at my family’s dinner table because my Dad was the consummate meat and potatoes man. But every once in a while, my mom would make this delicious dish. Nothing fancy. Three ingredients--olive oil, a couple of potatoes sliced so thinly that you could almost see through them, and a few eggs-- were all she needed to work this mealtime magic.
She would liberally coat the bottom of her frying pan with olive oil and just as it was beginning to sizzle, she carefully added a layer of the thinly sliced potatoes, overlapping them in the pan. I loved hearing the crackle of the potatoes as they hit the hot olive oil. When the potato slices were browned to a golden color on one side, she would gently flip them over and add the eggs. No ceremonious pre-whisking of the eggs for her. She would just crack the shells along the edge of the pan and add them to the potatoes. With a few turns of a dinner fork, she would gently mix the potatoes and the eggs until the eggs were firmly set. That was it. Our special treat, made just for the two of us, was ready.
We would happily devour the plateful of eggs and potatoes as we “argued” about who would get the potato slices which were nearly burned on the edges and, of course, always tasted the best.
It seems so long ago and it seems like only yesterday. A sweet memory tucked away in my heart; serving as a gentle reminder that it is not, nor has it ever been, the elaborate banquets and grand events of life that truly fulfill and sustain me.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
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Mama's Frittata
As Mother’s Day approaches I often find myself reminiscing about the time my mother and I spent together in the kitchen. Her busy work schedule rarely permitted long leisurely afternoons at the stove and the time we spent cooking together, regretfully, was limited. Her recipes, out of necessity, were easy and quick. One of my favorites was a traditional Italian dish that she referred to simply as fried potatoes and eggs. I suppose today we might call it a frittata; but to her, back then, it was what it was—fried potatoes and eggs.
Meatless meals were not served frequently at my family’s dinner table because my Dad was the consummate meat and potatoes man. But every once in a while, my mom would make this delicious dish. Nothing fancy. Three ingredients--olive oil, a couple of potatoes sliced so thinly that you could almost see through them, and a few eggs-- were all she needed to work this mealtime magic.
She would liberally coat the bottom of her frying pan with olive oil and just as it was beginning to sizzle, she carefully added a layer of the thinly sliced potatoes, overlapping them in the pan. I loved hearing the crackle of the potatoes as they hit the hot olive oil. When the potato slices were browned to a golden color on one side, she would gently flip them over and add the eggs. No ceremonious pre-whisking of the eggs for her. She would just crack the shells along the edge of the pan and add them to the potatoes. With a few turns of a dinner fork, she would gently mix the potatoes and the eggs until the eggs were firmly set. That was it. Our special treat, made just for the two of us, was ready.
We would happily devour the plateful of eggs and potatoes as we “argued” about who would get the potato slices which were nearly burned on the edges and, of course, always tasted the best.
It seems so long ago and it seems like only yesterday. A sweet memory tucked away in my heart; serving as a gentle reminder that it is not, nor has it ever been, the elaborate banquets and grand events of life that truly fulfill and sustain me.
Serves/Makes: 2
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced into rounds
- 4 eggs
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes but do not stir. Reduce the heat to medium.
Let the potatoes cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes then check to see if they are browned on the bottom. When ready, turn them over to brown on the other side. Let cook for 2 minutes.
Add the unbeaten eggs to the skillet. Stir quickly to scramble the eggs with the potatoes. Let the scrambled eggs cook until set then serve immediately.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/victoria-wesseler/504-mothers-day-frittata/