Smokey Sweet Potato Tortilla Española with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

I am eating leftovers of this delicious, Spanish inspired dish right this minute for breakfast. So yum any time of day if you ask me. Now am I having dinner for breakfast? Or did I have breakfast for dinner? Both!

Some of you are probably thinking, “A meal made out of tortillas?” Maybe you understand wrapping your meal in a tortilla, such as you would a breakfast burrito…Now hold it right there! We are definitely not on the same page yet. In Spain, let’s call this the “old world” dish, a tortilla is the country’s equivalent to the Italian’s frittata. It is an open faced omelet.  The key difference between the Italian and Spanish version is that the Spanish version requires potatoes. That is why it is sometimes referred to as tortilla de patata instead of tortilla española. The only thing an “old world” tortilla has in common with the “new world” tortilla, which we love to wrap our fajitas in, is the round shape.

The tortilla española is a very versatile dish. Just recipe wise, look at how easily I changed the traditional potato poached in olive oil concept.  You can definitely make this dish your own with a few easy tweaks.  In Spain, you’ll find tortillas served as tapas, as a main dinner course…my sister and I actually had our first tortilla in the form of a sandwich we picked up at a rest stop during the bus ride from Marbella to Grenada.  Of course, you typically do not find them on the breakfast menu and Spaniards do not typically “do brunch”, but as you can see from my introduction tortillas are perfect for both!

For dinner and tapas, I recommend serving a tortilla española with garlic aioli and vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, or a nice salad to help balance out all the protein and starches in the tortilla.  At breakfast, I like mine served with fresh fruit (Kiwis have been my favorite so far! The acidity cuts through the richness of the sweet potato and caramelized onions.). You can even cut the tortilla into  biscuit sized pieces to replace the mini fritatas in my breakfast sandwich recipe.

Smokey Sweet Potato Tortilla Española

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, appx 1 pound, cubed
• 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced ¼” thick
• 6-8 large eggs
•  ¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese , crumbled
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Appx 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (add more if you like)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F
2. Spread sweet potato onto a greased or foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss to evenly coat and spread into a single layer.
3. Roast sweet potatoes  until golden, about 35-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through the backing process.
4. While sweet potatoes are roasting, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan large enough to hold the onions and place over medium heat. Remember, we want to caramelize, not fry, the onions.
5. Add onions to the pan and saute, stirring occasionally (not frequently!). In about 15 minutes, the onions will have wilted and start to turn golden. No, not caramelized yet!
6. Continue to cook onions over medium, stirring only once every minute. In 15-20 minutes, they will darken to nearly brown and have an intense, rich flavor. The entire caramelizing process will take 30-45 minutes. 
7. As the sweet potatoes and onions finish, crack the eggs into a medium to large mixing bowl and beat together. Season with salt and pepper and add the Gorgonzola cheese to the bowl. Beat again.
8. Reduce oven to 350° F after sweet potatoes are finished roasting.
9. In a large, oven safe pan, heat the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat.  (If the pan you used for the onions is large enough to hold all the ingredients, set the onions aside in a bowl and re-use the pan.)
10. Once garlic is fragrant, add the onions and sweet potatoes to the pan. Give a quick stir to mix ingredients.
11. Pour beaten eggs into the pan over the sweet potatoes and onions. Ensure ingredients are distributed evenly through the tortilla.
12. Cook the tortilla in the pan until the egg begins to set, about 1-2 minutes. You’ll notice the edges starting to dry a little.
13. Transfer pan to the pre-heated oven and bake until edges of the tortilla are browned and a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.
14. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes and transfer to a serving plate or platter. Cut into wedges, serving either hot or at room temperature. 

To freeze, cut into servings and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then either wrap again with foil or place in freezer bags. When ready to re-heat, unwrap and place on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven and heat through, about 30 minutes. (Or: defrost in microwave for one minute at 50% power then bake for 15 minutes). To re-heat in a microwave, follow the same guidelines as my breakfast sandwiches

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