Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata

Scott loves eggs and I decided to surprise him with a frittata, otherwise known as baked eggs with a handful of frozen spinach and some diced leftover red pepper thrown in.

I had bought extra eggs for a baking project that I didn’t get around to fast enough and needed to use up some eggs, so I cracked four into a baking dish with the spinach and peppers.

Peppers have been plentiful here since I made Hot Pepper Jelly

And being that I just happened to have about seven cups of hot pepper jelly on hand, I also stirred a few tablespoons of it into the eggs before I baked them.

The frittata received egg-cellent reviews.

There was a touch of heat from the peppers and pepper jelly, and the spinach added some texture to the dish.  Serving a completely fiberless and veggieless meal for dinner isn’t the preferred method, so working a bit of greenery and veggies into the eggs was my strategy.

The frittata turned out thin, and firm enough to hold like a slice of pizza, which was popular with a certain five year old.

Care for a slice?

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Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

4 eggs

2/3 cup spinach (I used one handful frozen spinach and did not thaw it first, just tossed in the frozen flakes)

1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons hot pepper jelly (or try tamarind paste, tahini, sweet and sour sauce, curry paste), optional and to taste

pinch chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion powder, optional and to taste

1/4 cup carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, onions, corn, (or any vegetable that needs to be used or your have on hand), optional

1/4 cup shredded cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray. Crack four eggs into the baking dish and lightly beat them with a fork. Add all remaining ingredients and any optional ingredients and swirl them into the eggs, dispersing them evenly. Place baking dish on top of a cookie sheet if needed for stability, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, covered. If your baking dish does not have a lid, you may wish to cover it with foil so the top doesn’t burn before the eggs are cooked through.  I removed the lid and baked for 5 additional minutes, uncovered, to brown the top very slightly (27 minutes covered + 5 minutes uncovered = 32 minutes total baking time) Optionally, top with cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking. Cooking times will vary based on size of baking dish and amount of vegetables used. Frittata is done when eggs are cooked through and edges are just beginning to brown and pull away slightly from the edges of the dish. Remove the frittata and slice on a cutting board, or slice directly in the baking dish, and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and serve them either cold or reheated, for up to two days, using common sense. Double or triple the recipe based if desired, increasing cooking time as needed.

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This was easy and literally took me 37 seconds to prep before baking it, and I popped it in the oven about 20 minutes before I knew Scott would be home.

He walked in and took a whiff of the house and then asked, “Ohmygod are you making me eggs?!?” and I said Yes, I am.

The smile on his face and excitement in his voice made my day and reinforced just how much the man loves eggs.

I could have served eggs with sawdust and he would have been happy but he liked the frittata much better.

Do you like eggs?  Favorite way to eat them?

I like baking with eggs and my favorite way to consume eggs would be in one of these.

I rarely sit down and just eat eggs.  The last time I likely sat down to just a plate of eggs was probably in 2002, about 4:12 A.M., at a Waffle House in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

There’s nothing better than Waffle House eggs in the wee hours after a long night out on the town and plenty of libations.  Until you hit the 24 hour Krispy Kreme drive-thru for dessert after the eggs just to make sure you get your RDA of grease.  Fabulous memories.

Do you ever make breakfast foods for dinner?

Eggs for dinner and breakfast-for-dinner foods like waffles and pancakes was one of my mom’s tricks when I was growing up.  Now that I’m a mom, I understand why we had breakfast-for-dinner quite frequently: Easy, cheap, quick, kids (and husbands) like it.  ‘Nuff said.

 Thanks for the Cookbook Giveaway entries