A Healthier Denver Omelet Recipe

The classic diner omelet is an oversize envelope of eggs soaked in cheap oil and bulging with fatty fillers. The damage, with toast and hash browns: about 1,400 calories and 70 grams of fat. Our ode to Denver doesn't cut the cheese or the meat or even turn to Egg Beaters. No, this is just honest cooking with good ingredients in reasonable portions, exactly what an omelet should be.

Nutrition: 280 calories, 19 g fat (7 g saturated), 740 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1⁄2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking the omelets
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
4 oz smoked ham, cubed or sliced into thin strips
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 eggs
2 Tbsp 2% milk
1⁄2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to Make It

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions and cook for about 7 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned.
3. Add the ham, cook for 1 minute more, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine the eggs and milk and whisk until fully blended. Season with a few pinches of salt.
5. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat.
6. Swirl with just enough olive oil to coat.
7. Ladle in one-quarter of the eggs, and as soon as they begin to set, use a wooden spoon to scrape the egg from the bottom, working from one side of the pan to the other (like you were scrambling eggs).
8. Stop scraping just before the egg is fully cooked, then spread one-quarter of the cheese and one-quarter of the vegetable mixture across the omelet.
9. Use a spatula to carefully fold the egg over on itself.
10. Slide the omelet out onto a warm plate. Repeat to make 4 omelets.

Eat This Tip

Achieve a soufflé-like texture with any omelet with one simple move. Combine the eggs and a splash of milk in a blender as you heat up your pan. Blend for 20 seconds, then add the eggs directly to the pan. The action from the blender helps whip air into the eggs, creating a tender curd and pillowy texture as the eggs cook.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!