I’ve been making lots of versions of this veggie frittata lately! Work, summer law school commitments, etc. have been keeping me busy, but I’ve missed blogging and figured it was past time to share a new recipe.
This summer, I’ve split my time between two law firms here in North Carolina and have had really good experiences both working remotely and working in their offices with social distancing in place.
This turkey sausage veggie frittata has been one of my favorite quick grab-and-go breakfasts before work, and I’ve also really enjoyed it as a protein-filled snack at the office. I make it for the week on Sunday afternoon, and it’s good until around Thursday.
For the past month or so, I’ve been doing the Madeline Moves 30-Day Tighter Together (Strength Training & Macros) Challenge. It comes with a set of customized macros to follow, and the protein goals are HIGH.
I’m a huge snacker, and I’ve found that protein snacks are harder for me to come up with, especially with being dairy-free these days. I’m missing my Greek yogurt! While I’d happily eat just energy bites and fruit all day long, those aren’t super filling or especially high in protein.
This veggie frittata, though, has a good mix of protein, carbs, and fat. And during the macro challenge specifically, I actually added egg whites to the recipe to increase the protein content while keeping the carbs and fat the same– I’ll give the details in the recipe below!
I’m not a huge fan of plain egg whites (that’s why I love them in egg white oatmeal), but you can’t tell they’re there when mixed with whole eggs. If you add too many egg whites, though, you can tell they’re in there. I definitely exceeded that threshold once when I made this veggie frittata, so I made a note to remember to mention that!
I was inspired by a few other recipes I saw online for a make-ahead egg bake or baked frittata, and I created this recipe to be as simple as possible while still including lots of my favorite veggies: butternut squash (you can sub sweet potato), mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and spinach.
One serving is 1/6 of the pan, which is a huge slice! If you’re making this for smaller snacks or just part of your breakfast, you could definitely cut into 8 or even 10 pieces.
Adaptations
Butternut Squash vs. Sweet Potatoes
I’ve used both butternut squash cubes and sweet potato cubes. Either works well, and I love the heartiness and sweetness that they add!
Butternut Squash: Butternut squash happens to be lighter (i.e. lower in carbs and calories) if that’s something you’re looking for. I love buying pre-chopped butternut squash, and it’s super simple to roast– about 20 minutes at 425 degrees. I always save extra roasted butternut squash to use in salads for lunches for the week!
Sweet Potatoes: If I don’t have butternut squash, I usually bake a whole sweet potato in the oven while I do things around the house. When the sweet potato can be pierced with a fork (but not too soft), I take it out, let it mostly cool, and then I dice it.
In a time crunch, you can microwave a whole sweet potato wrapped in a damp paper towel (and pricked with a fork), starting with 5 minutes and then microwaving for extra 30 second intervals as needed, checking on it after each interval.
Other Veggies
Most veggies go so well with eggs. You can use mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, roasted or steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, or any of your other favorites.
Cheese (Optional)
You can skip cheese altogether for a dairy-free, Whole 30, or Paleo version. That’s what I do these days! It’s definitely delicious with cheese though, like your favorite goat cheese, cheddar, or feta.
Chicken or Turkey Sausage
Finally, I love the savory, spicy contrast of spicy breakfast or Italian sausage with the butternut squash or sweet potatoes. While you definitely can omit the meat and I sometimes do, I like that it adds some extra heartiness and protein and good flavor!
When all I have in the freezer is plain ground turkey or chicken, my mom taught me this little trick to make ground turkey taste like sausage:
For 1/2 pound of ground turkey or chicken, add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (the fennel really adds that sausage flavor!). My spice cabinet is not always quite as well-stocked as my mom’s, though, so you can just add as many of those spices that you have.
What to Serve with a Frittata
I love this frittata not only for a meal prep recipe, but also for homemade brunch! I usually serve it with freshly-baked almond flour banana muffins and fruit. If I’m having it for my own breakfast, I usually just have some berries on the side.
Hope you enjoy!
If you try this veggie frittata, let me know in a comment and leave a star rating or take a photo and tag me @livbane on Instagram! I’d love to see!
Make-Ahead Turkey Sausage & Veggie Frittata
Ingredients
Veggie Mixture
- 1/2 lb ground turkey sausage or ground chicken sausage (Italian or breakfast sausage is great or you can make your own– see below)*
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced
- 1 sweet bell pepper, diced
- 1 Roma tomato, deseeded and diced, or 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3-5 oz. fresh spinach or kale, chopped
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash (or 1 medium sweet potato), diced
Egg Mixture
- 12 eggs (see notes for high-protein version)**
- 1/2 cup milk (I use almond or cashew milk)
- 1 tsp. each salt and black pepper
- Optional 4 oz. cheese– goat cheese, cheddar, or feta are my favorites in this recipe
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground turkey or chicken sausage, chopped onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Break the meat up with a spoon and cook until no longer pink. Turn heat to off and add tomatoes and chopped spinach or kale, covering with lid for 60 seconds to wilt.
- While the meat and veggies are cooking, whisk 12 eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add the meat & veggie mixture and diced cooked butternut squash or sweet potato, and then pour the beaten eggs on top. Sprinkle on cheese, if using.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 mins, until middle is set and no longer jiggles when you lightly move the pan. Serve warm I love to top with avocado slices and salsa.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (or 4-5 days if you skip the meat).
Notes
Nutrition
Other breakfast recipes you may love:
High Protein:
3-Minute Peanut Butter Egg White Oatmeal
Sweet Potato Crust Quiche
Make Ahead:
Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Leave a Reply