You’ll work out every morning, or at least a morning or two here and there. You’ll stop the 2 a.m. pizza binges in the dining hall, or at least, you’ll go infrequently enough that Irma, the cafeteria lady, won’t have half a pie waiting for you on Thursday nights. You’ll make it to every 8 a.m. class. Or at least 80 percent of them.
The spring semester is full of promises we make ourselves. We’re already on the resolutions kick, so it just seems fitting to apply the tradition to campus life. And just like the rest of the world, it starts out great. And then we start making compromises, or to put it less delicately, we get lazy.
A missed day at the gym? No biggie, you had a ton of studying to do last night. No gym the following week? No problem, you had a ton of…err, hanging out to do? Hmm.
The solution? Keep your resolutions confined to 3 measures or less, and make them all completely manageable. Studying two hours a day sounds like punishment, and if it feels like punishment from day one, it’ll be 10 times worse by day 5.
It’s kind of like this tater tot frittata (or, as some of you may know it, tater tot casserole). It’s not the kale salad you could have for breakfast, and it doesn’t require any flashy culinary expertise to broaden your cooking skills, but it’s a manageable leap. It’s impressive, can be made semi-healthy (opt for egg whites only — use 9 or so — and halve the tots). You can bake it quickly in a pinch, and it’ll feed you all week long. Resolve to bake it at least once this semester.
Tater Tot Frittata (AKA Tater Tot Casserole)
Serves 6
Time commitment: 32-35 minutes (10 to prep; 22-25 to bake)
Utensils required: 8″ or 9″ round baking pan, frying pan, spatula, plate lined with paper towels (or napkins), oven, oven mitts
Ingredients:
- 4-5 slices turkey bacon (or regular bacon)
- 1 cup frozen tater tots
- 6 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 handful shredded cheese (I like Colby Jack)
- Salsa (optional)
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. As it heats, cook turkey bacon over medium heat in a frying pan until crispy. Place bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Turn off the burner — the rest will cook in the oven.
- Arrange the tots in a single layer on the bottom of the 8″ or 9″ round cake pan. Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it on top of the tots.
- In a small bowl, crack the eggs, add the water, and stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Pour on top of the tots and bacon in the cake pan.
- Sprinkle cheese on top, then place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes, or until the eggs have solidified and the top of the frittata is lightly browned.
- Let it cool a few minutes, then serve with a dollop of salsa, if you’re feeling adventurous (and come on, you are!).
