The more a restaurant manipulates an egg, the less healthy it's likely to be. If you ever peek into the kitchen at a fast food breakfast place you may see eggs that come, literally in a cardboard carton and contain more additives than actual egg yolk. Omelets rarely contain fewer than 800 calories, and ambitious concoctions like Panera's soufflé will swallow up an entire day's worth of saturated fat. Frittatas, however, give us hope. These Italian open-face omelets are lighter than their American cousins since they're less likely to be loaded with cheese and more likely to be stuffed with vegetables. You're going to want to make this mushroom and sausage frittata recipe all the time.
Nutrition: 300 calories, 18 g fat (5 g saturated), 450 mg sodium
Serves 4
You'll Need
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 link cooked andouille sausage, diced (Andouille is a smoked, slightly spicy sausage popular in Cajun cooking. If you can't find it, kielbasa makes a fine substitute.)
8 oz mushrooms (any variety—Creminis work nicely), stems removed, sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 eggs
1⁄4 cup crumbled goat cheese
12 chives or 3 scallions, chopped (optional)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place a large oven-safe skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the oil and onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the andouille and mushrooms and continue sautéing, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Beat the eggs vigorously with a fork or whisk, then add to the skillet, along with the goat cheese and chives, if using.
- Place in the oven and bake until the eggs have fully set (a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out clean), about 20 minutes.
- Let cool and then slice into 4 portions, topping with more chives if you like.
Eat This Tip
Using this recipe as a base, here are four other frittata combinations that work beautifully. Just sub out the mushrooms, sausage, and goat cheese for any of the following:
- 8 spears cooked, chopped asparagus and 2 ounces chopped smoked salmon
- 1⁄4 cup sundried tomatoes, 1⁄4 cup chopped olives, and 1⁄2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 cup sautéed spinach, 4 strips crumbled bacon, and 1⁄2 cup grated Gruyère
- 1 cup sautéed zucchini, 1 cup low-fat ricotta, and 8 to 10 chopped mint leaves
This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!