Denver Omelette (AKA Western Omelette)

Denver Omelette – Are you like me right now, still feeling the holiday spirit? Taking it slow and savoring the long holiday weekend? Probably still in pajamas, sipping on coffee, thinking what to cook for that first meal of the day.

Well, if you have that giant piece of ham still lingering in your fridge, I have just the perfect breakfast or brunch for you. Try this classic diner breakfast from the West… Denver Omelette!

A meal at the start of the day fit for cowboys… and now for you too. 🙂

Everybody loves ham and cheese in everything right? Just throw in some more goodies, crack some eggs and voila… a tasty scrumptious feeling to start the day.

Now I don’t know for sure why they are called Denver omelettes. Some might say that’s what the ranchers had before working the cattle. That’s why they’re also known as Western omelettes.

You have a high chance of encountering something like this in their diners. Though the ingredients remain more or less the same, everybody has slightly different ways to make this omelette. Whichever way you make it, just looking at the ingredients should make your empty stomach growl a bit.

Check out our collection of favorite Egg Recipes!

Here’s what goes in Denver omelette

• Eggs – Each omelette can be 2 or 3 eggs, depending on your appetite.
• Ham – That leftover holiday ham is perfect for this one, but you can buy ham from the deli section the rest of the time.
• Peppers – Any color you happen to have in your fridge.
• Onions
• Cheese – Cheddar is most common.
• Salt and pepper
• Butter or oil

It’s very, very simple

Crack the eggs in a bowl (2 or 3 per omelette) and whisk them with salt and pepper. Dice the ham into small pieces and chop onions and peppers.

Melt some butter or oil in an omelette pan and sauté chopped onion and peppers till they are soft. Add in diced ham and sauté everything till the ham gets a little brown color. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, melt some more butter and pour in the whisked eggs. Let it set for a minute. You have an option to keep it like a plain crepe or give it a little stir with a spoon to make it a little fluffy. Flip it over and spread cheese all over. Cover for 30 seconds.

Spread the onion, pepper and ham mixture in the middle. You can add some more cheese on top if you want it cheesier. Then fold both sides over the ham mixture. You can cook the omelette to your preferred doneness.

That’s it. Plate it out and dig into the salty ham cheesy deliciousness.

Some variations… Of course

1. Though most Denver omelettes have just pepper, onions, ham and cheese, who says you have to stick with that? Try mushrooms, black olives or tomatoes. Some days you can even swap ham for some of your favorite bacon.
2. Experiment with different cheeses. Swiss, gruyere, provolone, feta or goat cheese are great alternatives.
3. Instead of folding the omelette with stuffing in between, sauté all veggies along with ham and then pour over the egg mixture and make a regular omelette with cheese on top.
4. You can even bake this in your oven to make it more like a frittata.

Give this Denver omelette a try. It’s a great option for the crowds. Make those lazy brunches more interesting with added flavors to your regular eggs. Subscribe to GypsyPlate to get all these regional classics. Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and look forward to a happy and safe new year!!

Denver Omelette, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great breakfast options!
Sunday Morning Shakshuka
Scrambled Eggs with English Muffins
Bahamian Boiled Fish
Grillades and Grits
Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche
Mushroom, Spinach and Egg Skillet
Welsh Rarebit with Roasted Tomatoes

Denver Omelette (AKA Western Omelette)

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This Denver omelette is a classic way to start your day from the west. It's a breakfast fit for cowboys.

Print

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 small yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup ham, diced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 Tbsp butter, divided
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk eggs well, 3 at a time, with salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a pan and sauté onion and bell peppers till they get a little soft. Add diced ham and keep on sautéing till ham gets a little color. Remove to a plate.
3. In the same pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter and pour in mixture of 3 eggs and let it set for 30-40 seconds. Flip and spread shredded cheese on top and cover and cook for a minute.
4. Plate the omelette on a serving dish. Top it with sautéed ham and veggie mixture, fold it and serve.
5. Repeat the same for other omelette.

Nutrition Information

Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 619Total Fat 45gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 675mgSodium 1483mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 42g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.