Just in time for Easter, we’re sharing a delicious brunch recipe from our friend Jeanette, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. A few weeks ago, I made these Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese for a church function and ended up making extra for weekday breakfast-on-the-go. I’ve never made a frittata before although it’s been on my list to try forever. Frittatas are basically an open-faced omelet that is baked in the oven. The base is made of eggs and the toppings are endless – it’s the perfect medium for using up all the little bits and pieces of vegetables in your refrigerator.
I know I just posted an omelet recipe, but since Easter is this weekend, I wanted to share this frittata recipe because it would be perfect for Easter brunch, and it’s also the perfect on-the-go breakfast for busy weekday mornings. In my recent hangout with Elizabeth Ward, we talked about the importance of eating protein at breakfast time. Elizabeth said if timing was an issue that we should wake the kids up earlier to make sure they ate a good breakfast. On the flip side, we as parents, can make healthy breakfast bites like these frittatas ahead of time and reheat them for breakfast – they just take a few minutes in the toaster oven.
Frittatas, like omelets, are a great way to sneak in some vegetables at breakfast. Little bits and pieces of red bell peppers, steamed broccoli, mushrooms, roasted asparagus or cauliflower would all be great in these mini frittatas. I added ham to the frittatas when I made them, but you could easily it out, or add chopped up chicken sausage.
I served a few of these mini frittatas with a small cup of Greek yogurt for a protein-packed breakfast, along with a glass of orange juice – a great way for anyone to start the day.
Mini Frittatas with Ham, Vegetables and Cheese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 3 mini frittatas
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup reduced salt uncured ham, chopped
1/3 cup shredded organic or non-RBST reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chives or scallions, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, Fines Herbes or your favorite dried herbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
cooking spray
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute until
translucent, about 2 minutes. Add ham; saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3. Combine cheese, chives, thyme, pepper, egg whites and whole eggs in a medium bowl; whisk together. Add pepper/onion/ham mixture and stir well.
4. Spoon into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray (use a non-stick pan and be
sure to spray the cups well to prevent sticking).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set.
Notes: Adapted from Cooking Light
Check out the recipe on Jeanette’s Healthy Living Blog