By I'm on shift for Christmas this year. The schedule rotation means I work December 24th and 25th — forty-eight hours, starting Christmas Eve morning. It's the first time I've missed Christmas since Sofia was born, and the weight of it is sitting on my chest like a stone.
Jessica says it's fine. She's taking the kids to my parents' house on Christmas Eve for pozole (the tradition) and then to our house for Christmas morning. She'll handle the presents, the stockings, the Santa performance, the cookies. She's done this before — managed the household solo during my shifts — but Christmas is different. Christmas matters. And I won't be there when Sofia comes down the stairs and sees the tree.
I'm compensating the way I always compensate: with food. I spent this entire week cooking and freezing meals for Jessica and the kids. Green chile stew (four servings, labeled). Arroz con pollo (family-sized, in the blue container). A tray of enchiladas (ready to bake, 350 for 25 minutes). Chicken tortilla soup. I also made a batch of Mexican hot chocolate mix — cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, sugar — that Jessica can add to warm milk on Christmas morning. If I can't be there, my food can be there. It's not the same. But it's something.
At the station, I'm planning the Christmas meal for the crew. Christmas at the firehouse is its own tradition — the guys who are working are away from their families, too, and the Captain's job is to make the station feel like home. My menu: prime rib (because it's Christmas and we deserve it), mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, rolls, and Elena's tres leches cake for dessert. I'm also making tamales on Christmas Eve — pork in red chile, the same recipe Elena makes, because the crew should have tamales on Noche Buena even if they're not Mexican. Food doesn't have a nationality when you're lonely.
Roberto called me Thursday night. He said, "Mijo, the kids will be fine. Jessica will be fine. You'll be here for the next one." Then he said, "I worked Christmas in '89 at the dealership. Your mother was pregnant with you. I missed the posada. She never forgave me." I heard Elena in the background say, "I forgave you in 1992." "Three years," Roberto said. "She held a grudge for three years." I love these people.
I can’t be there when Sofia comes down the stairs, but I can make sure the guys at the station wake up Christmas morning to something that feels like a real holiday. This Christmas Morning Frittata is what I’m putting on the table before we start prepping the prime rib — eggs loaded with ham, peppers, and cheese, baked up in one pan, the kind of thing that fills a firehouse kitchen with a smell that says today is different. Roberto’s voice is still in my head from that phone call: “You’ll be there for the next one.” Yeah, Pop. But tonight, this is the crew I’m feeding.
Christmas Morning Frittata
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced ham (about 6 oz)
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Set oven to 375°F. Rack in the center position.
- Whisk the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper until fully combined and slightly frothy. Stir in the chives and set aside.
- Cook the filling. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the diced ham and stir to combine, cooking another 2 minutes until everything is heated through.
- Add the eggs. Spread the ham and vegetable mixture evenly across the bottom of the skillet. Pour the egg mixture over the top without stirring. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar evenly over the surface.
- Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20–23 minutes, until the eggs are fully set in the center and the edges are just beginning to pull away from the pan. The top should be lightly golden.
- Finish and serve. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Garnish with additional fresh chives. Serve directly from the skillet.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 510mg