COOK: Easy Denver Omelette (with Ham, Peppers, Onions, & Cheese)
- Denver Omelette Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make a Denver Omelette
- Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Denver Omelette Serving & Pairing Ideas
- Easy Denver Omelette (with Ham, Peppers, Onions, & Cheese)
A Denver omelette (or Denver omelet, also called a Western omelet on some menus) is a diner staple and brunch favorite. And with good reason! This is a filling but simple egg dish, overflowing with diced ham, sauteed bell pepper, onions, and melted cheese. It’s an easy breakfast recipe, and one you should definitely learn how to make!
It’s a hearty and balanced breakfast, packed with vegetables, protein, and cheesy goodness. It’s keto-friendly and fine for folks on low-carb diets, but mostly, you should make this because it’s just plain delicious!
This Denver omelette recipe is easier to get right than the fussier French omelettes. A western-style omelette like this one can have some golden browning on the egg and is packed with plenty of smoky ham and bell pepper filling. These omelettes have a simple single fold… it’s easy to master, unlike the trickier rolled French omelettes that take a lot of practice!
Worst case, if you mess it up, you’ve made a Denver scramble (which is what you planned to make all along, right? Your guests will never know if you don’t tell them, wink wink). So get your eggs and a good nonstick or well-seasoned iron pan out and let’s get crackin’!
Denver Omelette Ingredients
Eggs:
Always use fresh eggs for an omelette. I usually make two egg omelettes for everyday breakfasts, but you can make three or even larger omelettes for a heartier meal. The larger the omelette, the harder it will be to cook evenly and to fold it without tearing.
I add about one tablespoon of milk, half and half, or water per egg when whisking the omelette mixture. This will help give you a light, fluffy and tender omelette.
Season your omelette base mixture with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. A tablespoon of minced fresh chives are also a nice addition.
Ham:
Diced or sliced smoked ham. You can use leftover ham from a holiday meal, diced ham steak, or even sliced lunch meat in a pinch.
Saute the ham briefly with the vegetables to heat it through before making your omelette.
Vegetables:
You can use green bell peppers, or a blend of green, red, and yellow peppers, along with diced onions.
Use fresh peppers in season, or frozen onion and pepper blend (diced roughly, if they are sliced).
Cheese:
Cheddar is a great pairing with the ham, onions, and peppers, but you can also use jack cheese, pepper jack, or even Swiss cheese.
Shred or thinly slice the cheese so that it will melt quickly in your omelette.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Omelette pan:
I like to make omelettes in a small (5-7″) well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel pan. If you prefer nonstick pans, you can use that.
If you’re using a nonstick pan, use a silicone or plastic utensil instead of a fork or metal utensil to stir and flip the omelette. I use iron pans, and my trusty thin metal fish spatula for the flip.
How to Make a Denver Omelette
prep ingredients:
- Grate the cheese & set aside.
- Dice the ham and vegetables.
- Saute them with a teaspoon or two of butter until the vegetables are softened and the ham is heated through.
- Transfer the filling to a plate and keep warm.
whisk egg & heat pan:
- In a small bowl, use a fork or small whisk to beat the egg and milk or water with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan and heat over medium heat until bubbly and melted.
- Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan and swirl the pan to coat with egg.
stir and fill omelette:
- Quickly stir the eggs in the pan with the flat tines of a fork (or a silicone spatula for a non-stick pan).
- Stop stirring & turn the heat down when the eggs begin to set. Tilt the pan if the top still has a lot of unset egg.
- Cover the top of the omelette with the ham and vegetable mixture and top with cheese.
melt cheese, flip and serve:
- Cover the pan with a lid or pop under the broiler until the top of the egg is set and the cheese is melted.
- Carefully fold the omelette in half with a spatula and slide it onto a plate.
- Serve immediately, while still hot. Garnish with a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Omelettes should always be made hot and fresh and right before serving. If you need to, you can reheat them in a microwave or oven, but they’re not as good or as fluffy as freshly cooked.
To shorten prep time, you can dice and even saute the vegetables and ham in advance, grate your cheese (if you are using block cheese), and whisk the egg mixture in bulk up to three to four days ahead. Store each ingredient in sealed containers in the fridge.
Quickly re-heat the sauteed veggies and ham before adding them to your omelettes, as cold fillings may not heat through in the omelette, and makes it harder to melt the cheese and cook the top-side of the omelette through.
Denver Omelette Serving & Pairing Ideas
You can serve these Denver omelettes by themselves, or pair them with your favorite kind of toast, freshly baked buttermilk or butter-swim biscuits, or an English muffin.
For a lighter and healthier meal, a simple lightly dressed and tossed green side salad or cut fresh fruit is great!
Easy Denver Omelette (with Ham, Peppers, Onions, & Cheese)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp whole milk (or water)
- ¼ cup diced ham
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers
- 2 tbsp diced onion
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp flaky salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
Denver Omelette Filling:
- Grate the cheese & set aside. Dice the ham and vegetables.
- Saute the ham and vegetables with a teaspoon or two of butter until the vegetables are softened and the ham is heated through.
- Transfer the filling to a plate and keep warm.
Cook the Omelette:
- In a small bowl, use a fork or small whisk to beat the egg and milk or water with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan and heat over medium heat until bubbly and melted.
- Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan and swirl the pan to coat with egg.
- Quickly stir the eggs in the pan with the flat tines of a fork (or a silicone spatula for a non-stick pan).
- Stop stirring & turn the heat down when the eggs begin to set. Tilt the pan if the top still has a lot of unset egg.
- Cover the top of the omelette with the ham and vegetable mixture and top with cheese.
- Cover the pan with a lid or pop under the broiler until the top of the egg is set and the cheese is melted.
- Carefully fold the omelette in half with a spatula and slide it onto a plate.
- Serve immediately, while still hot.
Notes
Nutrition
More Breakfast, Brunch, and Egg Recipes:
- Sharp Cheddar Grits & Greens with Garlic, Bacon, and Pickled Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms
- Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Quiche
- Smoked Trout Quiche
- How to Make Butter-Swim Biscuit Mix for Fresh Biscuits in a Flash!
- Easy Cheesy Pumpkin Muffins with Jalapeno or Herbs
- Chipotle Bacon Deviled Eggs
- Deviled Eggs with Dill, Preserved Lemon, and Capers
- Savory Crepes with Spinach, Artichoke Hearts & Jarlsberg
- Spinach Artichoke Egg Bites
- Broccoli and Cheese Egg Bites
- Spicy Jalapeno Pickled Eggs (easy refrigerator pickle recipe)