Fluffy Cheese Omelette

You’ve undoubtedly seen the white-aproned chefs at brunch, whipping yolks into a crepe-thin layer of egg, flipping it deftly from the pan, shaping and baking it with finesse. For the less coordinated among us, I have a method I love that delivers fluff to the extreme. It’s a bulkier, more satisfying choice, in my humble opinion. This method is perfect for creating a fluffy cheese omelette.

This approach also melts the cheese to perfection, which is really why I’m sharing this recipe. I recently watched an episode of America’s Test Kitchen on PBS where the “perfect omelette” involved microwaving the cheese for 30 seconds before folding it into the eggs. No disrespect to PBS, but I just couldn’t get behind that not-so-DIY idea.

So without further ado, here’s my mushroom, green onion, and fluffy cheese omelette—and remember, this method works beautifully with just about any cheese or filling you choose.

What You Will Need

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, whisked until smooth
• 4 white button mushrooms, or other variety, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
• cheddar cheese, or other variety, thinly sliced or grated
• 1 tsbp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Equipment:

• 1 10-12″ skillet, preferably nonstick
• 1 frying pan lid, 10-12″ in diameter

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil at med-high temperature in a 10-12″ skillet, preferably nonstick

2. Sauté the onion until softened, about 2 minutes

3. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and begin to heat. Add the butter to the skillet and sauté with the mushrooms, until melted and the mushrooms and onions are browned and slightly carmelized.

4. Add the green onion, and salt/pepper to taste. Reserve some of the chopped green tips for later.

5. When the green onions are heated through, set the mixture aside.

6. In the same skillet, over low heat, pour in half the whisked egg mixture. Let it set around the edges of the pan.

7. When the edges are set firmly enough to not break, gently use a fork or spatula to push in the edges. Tilt the pan so that the runny egg mixture on top now fills in the edges of the pan. Allow the egg to cook and set, around 30 seconds.

8. Repeat this step until most of the egg is set and there is very little runny yolk. (If you don’t like a well-done omelette, this step can be skipped.)

9. Turn the burner down to its very lowest setting on the stove. Take half the mushroom mixture and spoon it across just the middle section of the omelette. Top it with half of the sliced or grated cheese and cover the pan.

10. After about a minute, remove the cover and check to see if the cheese has melted. If not, keep the skillet covered and continue to check over the next few minutes for the cheese to be melted.

11. Wedge the spatula carefully under one side of the egg and fold the omelette in half, being careful not to break it in the middle. The omelette should slide easily off the pan onto a plate.

12. Sprinkle the extra green onions (and cheese and veggies if you prefer) on top of the egg.

13. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Jo Gagliano

_{Jo is an avid foodie and author who loves home cooking and tasting delicious dishes.
She’s from the California Coastline.}