A savory, easy, ultimate Breakfast Frittata makes a wonderful breakfast, brunch or even lunch, especially when it is loaded with protein and veggies like red peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onions, and sausage. It's light and fluffy and comes together in under 30 minutes.
We never like to skip breakfast! Some of our other favorites are Easy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches, and My Favorite Breakfast Burritos!
Breakfast Frittata: What is a frittata?
A frittata is an Italian-style omelet. The Italians aren't the only ones to have their own version of an omelet - there is a Spanish version made with potatoes called tortilla española, or Spanish tortilla. Each dish is slightly different, but they are all basically an egg scramble with savory fillings and they are delicious!
Frittata vs Quiche - Frittata vs. Quiche
What is the difference? There are a couple of main differences between a Frittata and Quiche. A frittata is an Italian dish that is similar to an open faced omelet with a firm exterior and tender-fluffy interior. A quiche on the other hand is a savory French tart that is a bit more labor intensive with a buttery, flaky crust and a higher dairy to egg ratio making it more creamy and almost custard like. It’s entirely cooked in the oven and will take a bit more time to cook.
Why you’ll love this Spinach Frittata
A frittata is incredibly easy to make and easily customizable. The version I’m sharing below has the perfect amount of seasoning and is loaded with healthy ingredients like mushrooms, spinach, onions, and red pepper. I show you all the tips and tricks to make this a fail-proof, satisfying breakfast or lunch to enjoy anytime.
Spinach Frittata ingredients
- Eggs - The base of the frittata is a good whisked egg mixture.
- Paprika - A mild, sweeter seasoning that adds depth to the frittata. For an even more robust flavor, try using smoked paprika.
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Oil or bacon grease
- Diced red pepper
- Mushrooms
- Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage (or any sausage you would prefer)
- Chopped green onions
- Baby Spinach
Breakfast Frittata Recipe variations
Frittatas are super versatile and a great way to use up whatever vegetables are left in your refrigerator needing to be used up. You can also add cheese if you would like, although I didn't in this one.
Other ideas for frittatas are tomato, bacon & cheese, leftover potatoes with sauteed leeks, or caramelized onions & bacon but honestly, you can let your imagination go crazy and use whatever sounds good!
Frittatas are a good idea if you know you are doing meal-prep and want to have breakfasts ready in advance for busy mornings later in the week since they can be divided into portions and reheat well. Which is super handy if you are doing a Whole 30 or made New Year's resolutions to eat better in 2017 and want something loaded with protein for a quick and easy breakfast.
You could make your frittata bigger to serve more people by increasing the scale and using a larger pan. Be aware of the size of your pan though - I have two cast-iron skillets and I used my smaller 10" round one to cook this 9-egg frittata.
If you try using a larger pan with the same amount of ingredients, your frittata will cook faster and be thinner.
Which is totally fine if that's the only size pan you have, I just don't want anyone ending up with dry, sad frittata if they can help it!
How to make an Egg Frittata
- Prep your egg mixture. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them together with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You want your frittata to be well seasoned. If you want to add cheese to your frittata, you can mix in ¾ cup of shredded cheddar or any cheese of your choice to the egg mixture. Set aside the egg mixture while you saute the vegetables.. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Sauté Veggies. Once your egg mixture is done, you can start on the veggies. The vegetables will not cook much once the egg mixture is poured in so you will want to soften them beforehand. In an oven-safe skillet or cast iron pan, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and sauté another minute. Add the sausage, green onions & spinach and cook just until spinach starts to wilt, about 1 minute. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Pour Eggs. Once the veggies are softened, reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the eggs into the skillet over the sautéed vegetables & sausage and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the egg begins to look set around the edges and start to release from the pan but the middle is still wobbly, about 5 minutes.
- Bake frittata. Remember not to overbake your frittata! A good frittata should be light and barely set. Once you take the frittata off the stove, transfer the skillet with the frittata to the oven and let it bake for 9-10 minutes until the middle is set. If you are doing meal prep and plan to reheat the frittata later, try to undercook it just a little bit (maybe only 8-9 minutes). Then when you reheat each portion in the microwave it will be perfectly cooked. If you would like to add cheese to the top, you can add ¼ cup of shredded cheese over top in the last minute or so and let it melt.
Frittata Recipe tips
Here are a few helpful tips for making an amazing frittata!
Be sure to cook any add-ins like peppers, onions, mushrooms, or sausages.
They won't cook much once the eggs are added to them. For this recipe, I didn't have any roasted red peppers on hand, but if I did I would have just used those and skipped the first step of sauteeing my peppers in the pan.
Don't overcook your frittata!
A good frittata should be light and barely set. The top of your frittata won't get golden brown unless you finish it off under the broiler for a minute or so. Check your frittata BEFORE you think it is supposed to be done, just to make sure you aren't overbaking it.
Season your frittata well.
By seasoning the vegetables as they cook and seasoning the eggs separately, you are building layers of flavor that will help your frittata taste amazing. If you forget to season your eggs until after they are poured into the hot pan, the salt and pepper won't be able to get down to the rest of the frittata and you will end up with a salty crust and a bland bottom and trust me, nobody wants that!
How to serve a Frittata Breakfast
A good frittata is loaded with protein, vegetables, and flavor. You will not need much more to round out the meal but a good side of fruit or hashbrowns would be very complimentary. If you want to go more on the sweeter side, muffins or a smoothie are also excellent choices.
Egg Frittata storage
Frittatas make excellent leftovers. They store quite well in the fridge and last for days. You can slice the frittata and store it in a single layer in an airtight container. It should stay good for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze a frittata for a quick and easy breakfast option on busy days.
Breakfast Frittata Recipe FAQs
A frittata is cooked slowly over low heat because of the higher ratio of eggs. An omelet is usually made for an individual while a frittata can feed a group of people. An omelet is cooked quicker and faster over high heat. The frittata has all the veggies and toppings mixed throughout and then cooked in a cast iron pan or skillet so it can go in the oven to finish cooking. The omelet is entirely cooked on the stovetop with veggies usually folded in the center.
This Italian dish will always consist of eggs, and a variety of meat, cheese, dairy, and vegetables. It does not have a crust and is cooked on the stove in butter or oil which makes the outer edge seem “fried” which the origins of the word in Italian is friggere. It’s basically an Italian open faced omelet.
To keep the frittata fluffy, make sure you whisk those eggs well and add a bit of dairy. Any type of dairy like whole milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, or crème fraîche, will work.
A veggie frittata has a ton of good nutrition with protein from the eggs, vitamins and minerals from the veggies, and low carb without a crust.
More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
- Green Chili Egg Casserole
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
- Peppery Scrambled Macaroni & Eggs
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage & Apples
- Easy Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
- My Favorite Breakfast Burritos
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Breakfast Frittata Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 eggs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon oil or bacon grease
- ½ red pepper diced
- 4 mushrooms
- 1 Aidell's Chicken & Apple Sausage chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
Instructions
- In a large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them together with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In an oven-safe skillet or cast iron pan, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and sauté another minute. Add the sausage, green onions & spinach and cook just until spinach starts to wilt, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the eggs into the skillet over the sautéed vegetables & sausage and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the egg begins to look set around the edges and start to release from the pan but the middle is still wobbly, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet with the frittata to the oven and let it bake for 9-10 minutes until the middle is set. If you are doing meal prep and plan to reheat the frittata later, try to undercook it just a little bit (maybe only 8-9 minutes). Then when you reheat each portion in the microwave it will be perfectly cooked.
Your recipe appears to be delicious and healthy. Perfect for my NY resolutions!
This looks and sounds like one delicious frittata! I like your tip on the multiple layers of spices. Such a great idea to add flavor in multiple steps of the baking process. Sounds delicious!
The past weeks have been extremely indulgent for me. Looking forward to some healthy yet yum recipes and this one looks like one. And who doesn't like eggs? And, who doesn't like eggs?
This looks amazing! I don't eat eggs often enough for how much I love them. Great tips on building an awesome fritatta.
Thanks Amy ! Made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it!!! Looking forward to 2017 and your blog!
So glad to hear it was a dinnertime success for you!
Wow, this frittata looks delicious!!! Perfect for Sunday brunch!
I love that this is Whole 30 compliant! Aidell's Chicken and Apple sausage is one of my favorites. Trying this this weekend!
The recipe calls for “1” chicken and apple sausage. Is this “1” link or “1@ package?
It's just one sausage, not a whole package. Although you can certainly add as much sauce as you would like!
I haven’t bought a new grater for years and didn’t even know that six sided ones existed. It does boil down to price and how versatile they are, but next time I will get one with the container to catch everything in as that is my biggest annoyance, cleaning up after grating.