Spinach, Mushroom & Swiss Cheese Omelet - Video Recipe

I don't make Omelets enough. But when I buy a bunch of spinach and a carton of mushrooms, well, that's the time to do it. I like the addition of cheese to any Omelet.

I would put a Spinach, Mushroom & Swiss Cheese Omelet at the top of my favorite breakfast list. 

Sautéed spinach with mushrooms is a delish side dish on its own, but add cheese and eggs...Mmm.

I made the Omelet with fresh mushrooms and spinach, but you can use frozen spinach and mushrooms from the can or jar - just drain well.

I've been cooking with Swiss Cheese lately, but it's okay to use any favorite cheese, or just leave it out. I layer in the cheese first to melt.

Mushrooms sauté in just a few minutes. I used 3 sliced mushrooms for this recipe. It's okay to use more.

I sautéed spinach for a minute until soft. I removed the stems from 10 leaves. Again, you can use more spinach if you like - it depends on how fat you make the omelet.

Hey, when I shot this video, I did it in the evening, and it made a satisfying dinner, too.

You can cook the eggs for the Spinach, Mushroom, and Swiss Cheese Omelet any way. 

This is a 3-egg omelet. For a smaller 2-egg omelet, reduce the veggie amounts. Egg prices are finally going down this year.

I like the French way, which is mixing the eggs first, then sauté/stirring the eggs until firm but still moist in the middle. You can easily keep cooking the Omelet until firm all the way through if you are the queasy type.

My Spinach, Mushroom, and Swiss Cheese Omelet is veggie-fresh and gooey-cheesy in all the right ways.

You may not use up a whole bunch of spinach and a carton of mushrooms in one sitting, but there's always my Loaded Meatloaf recipe, which will take all leftover veggies.

Spinach, Mushroom & Swiss Cheese Omelet- VIDEO       Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 29 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding: just click here.

Ingredients

3 to 5 Mushrooms - sliced, depending on size. Okay to use canned or jarred mushrooms - these are already cooked, so no need to sauté.

10 to 12 Spinach Leaves - stems removed. Spinach shrinks considerably. Okay to use canned or frozen spinach; just squeeze out any liquid - no need to cook; just add after defrosting or opening from the can.

1 Slice of Swiss Cheese - okay to use any favorite cheese, or just leave it out. A veggie-only omelette is tasty.

3 Eggs - I used large-sized. Okay to make a 2-egg Omelette; just cook fewer veggies.

2 Teaspoons Vegetable Oil - any type. I used a nonstick omelet pan. One teaspoon of oil for sautéing mushrooms and one teaspoon to sauté the omelet. You may need more oil in a regular frying pan.

Salt and Pepper - to taste. I leave out salt, as cheese has enough for me.

Directions

Brush off any dirt from the mushrooms. I sliced each mushroom into thirds. 

Remove stems from spinach leaves. Rinse leaves if necessary.

Add a teaspoon of oil to sauté mushrooms. Sauté over medium-low heat until tender - about 3 minutes. Allow mushrooms to sit without stirring until one side lightly browns. Turn over mushrooms and finish sautéing until they are tender.

You can add spinach leaves to mushrooms, or remove mushrooms then sauté/stir spinach. Spinach softens very quickly in about a minute. It may seem like a lot of spinach, but the leaves will reduce in size. I don't add oil, as the spinach leaves release a lot of moisture and soften.

Remove sautéed veggies. I used the same pan to fry the omelet. Add more veggie oil if necessary.

Lately, I make my omelettes the French way; that is, mix eggs and sauté them until damp but not dry.

Add oil to cover the pan, then pour the beaten eggs into the medium/low heated pan.

The main technique for cooking a French-style omelette is to stir the eggs until halfway cooked and still moist. This way, the eggs are heated all the way through but not stiff or done. 

Form an oval with the soft eggs large enough to hold the sautéed veggies and cheese. Fill any holes in the omelet shape with the softened egg.

I like to add the cheese first, so it melts quickly. Next, layer the sautéed mushrooms and spinach. I position the veggies towards the bottom half of the oval omelette to easily cover them when folding the omelette in half.

I use the spatula to first loosen the omelette, then fold it over the veggies. Sometimes the omelette will crack and break shape, but that's okay. You can easily press it together when it is a moist French-style omelette. I seldom make a perfectly formed omelette; oh well.

If you don't want a damp omelette, allow it to cook through before or after folding it.

Season the omelette with salt and pepper before serving. You can season the inside of the omelette if you want a cleaner presentation.

I sometimes top the omelette with a smear of melting butter for a luscious finish.

You can make a smaller 2-Egg Omelet; just sauté fewer veggies.

This recipe is adaptable. Make a Mushroom and Cheese Omelette,  a Spinach and Cheese Omelette, or a Spinach and Mushroom Omelette.

Swiss Cheese Burger Recipe

Summer is Cheeseburger grilling time. Usually I like melted American or Cheddar cheese on my burgers, but lately it's Swiss Cheese. 

Swiss cheese is more pungent than American cheese. I get it cheaply from my local Latin grocer, Superior. With its distinctive holes, Swiss cheese is easy to spot. It takes a little longer to melt than American cheese.

Swiss Cheese originated in Emmental, Switzerland. It's said that the larger the holes, the more pungent the cheese. The cheese colors are pale yellow to almost white. Don't feel cheated by the holes since it's usually sold by weight.

I add Swiss cheese to my Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwiches. Try it in a Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich.

I've been getting discounted ground beef from my local supermarket, Ralphs Grocer. These days anything around $5 per pound is a good deal. If the ground beef is red in color, I'll take a chance on discounted ground beef. I won't buy grey or browning beef. I have, on occasion, bought nice bright red ground meat at a discount, only to find that it's brown in the middle...ugh. 

I like my burgers not too big, so I form the patties into 1/4 to 1/3 pounds - make your burgers as large as you like.

Try not to press on the meat too much; keep it a little loose. You can make the meat patties thick or thin. Of course, the thinner the patty, the quicker it will cook. I add salt and pepper to the raw hamburger patties before grilling. I tend to add more pepper than salt, but season the hamburger any way you like.

What do you like on a summertime grilled Hamburger? When I invite the neighbors over for a patio party, I have to remember to put out ketchup. I like typical mustard and mayo on mine. My local Dollar Tree has these condiments for the right price.

Lettuce, sliced tomato, and pickle are my other hamburger toppings. I also add sliced onion if I have it in the crisper. All these ingredients still come cheaply.

My method of grilling hamburgers is to cook one side until it is charred, then flip it over and cook it to the desired doneness, usually in a reduced amount of time. Cooking time will vary depending on the heat of the grill. I use a gas grill set to medium heat - it usually takes about 7 to 10 minutes total for a medium-done hamburger, with a little pink in the middle. Increase time for a well-done hamburger.

I add cheese right when I flip the burger so it melts all the way. In my video recipe, I leave the barbecue grill top open for filming, but normally the top is down when I add the cheese so it melts quick enough. It's up to you how you grill a hamburger.

Anyway you grill it, try my tasty cheeseburger version with Swiss Cheese for a change of flavor.

Swiss Cheese Burger - Recipe Video            Play it here, video runs 2 minutes, 23 seconds.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef - I bought a one-pound package and divided it into 4 segments, about 1/4 pound each. Make the hamburger patties any size and shape you like.
• Swiss Cheese - One slice per hamburger patty is enough for me. You can add more if you like.
• Salt & Pepper - to your taste. Add any favorite seasonings.
• Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle - add any combination, or all three. It's up to you; add what you like, or have on hand. I sometimes add sliced onion, too.
• Mustard, Mayonnaise - or any favorite condiment, like ketchup. 

Directions

Form hamburger patties any size you like. I make mine in the 1/4 pound range. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fire up the grill. I use a gas grill set to medium heat. Use any grilling method you like.

Let the grill heat up for a couple of minutes, then add the hamburger patty(s). You may want to spray the grill with cooking oil if your grilling grates are wide. With thin grates, the hamburger patty is easy to flip without sticking.

While the hamburger grills, I will slice the tomato and pickle (if needed). Shred lettuce. Get out your favorite condiments, like mayo and mustard.

My grilling technique is to cook one side of the hamburger until it is darkly charred and brown, then flip it over for a shorter cooking time, until it is done the way I like it. Cooking time will vary, but usually 7 to 10 minutes total is enough time. Keep the grill closed during part of the cooking time for more smoky flavor.

If you try to char each side of the hamburger, it can easily dry out, unless that is the way you like it. If the patty is a fat one, then you can probably char each side. 

I like my hamburger patty with a pink middle, but not too raw.

Add the Swiss cheese when you flip the burger so it has time to melt. This is when I close the grill for a minute or so.

I have a water spray bottle handy for flare-ups. If your hamburger has a high fat content in the 70% to 80% lean meat range, the extra fire flare-ups may burn the patty.

The hamburger I purchased was extremely lean, almost too lean for my taste, but it was on sale.

When the hamburger is almost done, I will toast the hamburger buns. You can make your burgers with buns right out of the package.

When the hamburger is done, build your Swiss Burger the way you like it.

I make mine with mustard and mayo slathered on both sides of the bun. I add the hamburger with cheese, then pile on lettuce, tomato, and pickle.

You can't go wrong with a fat, loaded, and grilled  Swiss Cheese Burger.

Rachel Sandwich - Video Recipe

Coleslaw between 2 slices of rye bread? But when you add melty Swiss Cheese, tender Corned Beef, and Russian Dressing, now that's a great sandwich. My Rachel Deli Sandwich is stacked with deliciousness.

I was unaware of such a wild sandwich until I first ordered a Rachel at Los Angeles's premier Jewish Deli, Canter's Restaurant. They are expensive, in the $20 range now, and I would get them just every once in a while. 

The Rachel is a riff on a Ruben Sandwich, which is made with Sauerkraut instead of Coleslaw. And the Ruben is an American creation from the early 1900s (click here to read all about it.)

What makes a Rachel Sandwich so tasty is the combination of cool Coleslaw with thick slices of Corned Beef and Swiss Cheese on toasty Rye Bread. It's a heady, hardy sandwich.

Now you would think it too difficult to make in your kitchen but I have a simple Corned Beef Recipe that uses a package of uncooked Corned Beef. 

And all you have to do is boil the Corned Beef until tender. Check out my  Easy Corned Beef recipe below.

I always have a few packages of uncooked Corned Beef in the freezer that I get for half price during St. Patrick's Day week sales. 

For my Coleslaw, I use a 14-ounce bag of sliced cabbage and carrot and a few dollops of mayonnaise that I get from my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

Coleslaw made with a pre-shredded bag of cabbage is the way to go and I have an Easy Coleslaw recipe below to prove it!

A Russian Dressing is ketchup plus mayo. Mix it together for a sweet sandwich filling.

You're supposed to use Swiss Cheese, but I've made mine with any favorite cheese I have on hand - it's all good.

A Rachel Sandwich can go other meaty ways, one is using sliced cooked turkey and the other way is made with Pastrami. I've not tried turkey, but I know Pastrami makes a great Rachel. Of course, I have an Easy Homemade Pastrami recipe video for your viewing pleasure.

As for Rye Bread, I get mine from the "clearance shelves" at my local Ralph's Grocers for one to two bucks a loaf. 

Once you toast week-old slices of rye, they taste as good as new. I've also made a Rachael with regular bread. (I guess you can't really call it a Rachel, but it's delicious regardless.)

Do try out my version of a Rachel Sandwich -- so go for it, and make your own Corned Beef or Pastrami  -- that's the 99 Cent Chef cheap$kate way.

                                            Rachel Sandwich - Video                Play it here. The video runs for 2 minutes and 26 seconds. 

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• Sliced Corned Beef or Pastrami - My recipe for Easy Corned Beef is here. My Easy Pastrami recipe is here.
• Coleslaw - add as much as you like, usually a couple tablespoons per sandwich. My Easy Coleslaw recipe is here.
• Swiss Cheese - One slice is enough, but add as much as you like. 
• Russian Dressing - Mix one teaspoon of ketchup plus one tablespoon of mayonnaise.
• 2 Slices Rye Bread - I've made the sandwich with regular white and wheat bread.
• Butter - a thick slice for toasting the sandwich. 

Directions

For a simple Corned Beef Recipe just simmer a raw Corned Beef covered in water for about 3 to 4 hours until it is tender. 

Check the water level every hour or so and add more if needed. A package of Corned Beef will have directions as well.

Slice the cooked Corned Beef. You can make your sandwich with as much as you like.

What makes this sandwich is toasting the bread and melting the Swiss Cheese. Here's how I stack it.

Add a slice of butter to melt and spread it out enough to cover a slice of bread.

I add a slice of bread and then the Swiss Cheese, so the cheese is closest to the heat and will melt nicely. 

From here out you can stack it anyway. Pile on the Coleslaw and sliced Corned Beef.

Finally, smear on the Russian Dressing and top with a slice of Rye Bread.

When the cheese starts to melt it's ready to turn and brown the other side of the sandwich. Again it's good to peek under the sandwich to make sure you don't burn the bread.

You can add more butter when you flip the sandwich if you like a more buttery flavor. I find it's buttery enough even if one side has most of the butter flavor and browning.

It usually takes 2 or 3 minutes per side to brown the Rye Bread and melt the Swiss Cheese, depending on how hot the pan or grill surface is.

Hindsight

Stack the sandwich any way you like. Start with Swiss Cheese, Corned Beef, Russian Dressing, and top with Coleslaw. Mix it up the way you like it.

I've made the Rachel with Pastrami, too. I've never tried a California Rachel (made with sliced cooked Turkey) but it sounds delicious.