Smoky Broccoli Cheddar and Spinach Frittata - A simple frittata recipe featuring pasture-raised eggs, broccoli, spinach, aged cheddar and smoked paprika. A delicious savory breakfast or an easy cast-iron skillet weeknight meal!
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Frittatas are incredibly versatile. Have veggies that are on their last leg? Want a simple vegetarian meal that comes together in less than an hour? The frittata is your new best friend.
This fluffy egg bake is filled with delicious veggies and cheese (meat if you’d like). It’s a great way to get veggies in for breakfast and this frittata makes for a simple savory egg lunch or dinner.
This delicious frittata is filled with veggies and aged cheddar. A great savory breakfast or try with a side salad for a simple lunch or weeknight dinner meal.
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🧾 Ingredients
Eggs - ideally look for pasture-raised eggs. Though the term isn't regulated, pasture-raised hens generally get more space and access to the outdoors.
Because they tend to eat bugs and other things they find outside, their eggs tend to contain more nutrients like beta-carotene. You'll often notice their yolks tend to be a deeper yellow compared to conventional eggs.
Milk - I usually use regular whole milk, but any cow's milk will work. Almond milk should also work, just make sure to use the unsweetened and unflavored variety.
Other plant milks may work, but I haven't tested them - some plant milks don't work well when cooked, but most should be fine.
Spices - In this recipe, I like to use salt, pepper, smoked paprika and thyme, but feel free to experiment with other spices.
Aromatics - garlic and onions. I generally recommend using fresh cloves, but jarred garlic will also work or garlic powder if you're in a pinch. I generally use a yellow or sweet onion, but shallots will also work.
Broccoli - I love to chop up and add in the florets as well, but if you'd like your frittata to be stem-free, don't toss the stalks. Shred them for a salad, make them into broccoli stems fritters or blend them into broccoli soup.
Spinach - you'll need about two hefty cups of raw spinach. You can also use chard, beet greens or kale. P.s. feel free to use up those wilted greens.
Cheese - get a good quality cheddar if you can. I love a good aged cheddar, but use your favorite kind.
🥘 How to make a frittata
1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2 - Combine eggs, milk, salt, smoked paprika, thyme and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk and set aside.
3 - Heat cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet) over medium heat (you don’t want a smoking hot pan or the eggs will stick). Once warm, add oil, garlic and onions and saute until onions are translucent, 5-8 minutes.
Add broccoli and saute another 5 minutes. Then add spinach and saute until spinach is just starting to wilt. Spread the veggies out evenly in the skillet.
4 - Sprinkle cheese over broccoli/spinach mixture. Once the cheese is starting to get melty, pour the egg mixture into the cast iron skillet, and sprinkle with a bit more cheese and cook over medium-low heat just until the sides are starting to set, about 5 minutes.
Don’t stir the mixture, we aren’t looking for scrambled eggs here.
5 - Transfer to oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and test doneness by cutting into the center of the frittata, if the egg runs, bake for another few minutes.
Once set, remove from the oven and enjoy!
💭 Tips, Tricks and Tools
Invest in a cast-iron skillet. They are incredibly versatile and when I say invest, I really mean hit up a local garage sale and pick one up. Even the dirty/rusted ones can be restored to their old glory!
Use those broccoli stems. Either cut them up and use them in this frittata or save them for future use! They make a great addition to salads, can be roasted as a side vegetable or even made into broccoli stem soup.
Recipe variations. Feel free to change it up depending on what you have on hand. Use swiss chard instead of spinach, try cauliflower instead of broccoli. Feel free to add sausage or bacon.
This recipe can be easily adapted to what you have available and is great for using up any veggies that almost past their prime - wilted greens, limp broccoli, even add in wilted herbs. All are great additions.
🥦 Nutrition
This spinach frittata recipe has loads of fiber from the broccoli and spinach, protein from the eggs and healthy fats from olive oil and egg yolks.
Alone, however, it is missing adequate carbohydrates. I would recommend serving this broccoli cheddar frittata with a slice of toast or you could try adding in roasted potatoes.
🥞 More Seasonal Breakfast recipes
Did you enjoy this spinach frittata as much as we do?
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📖 Recipe
Smoky Broccoli Spinach and Cheddar Frittata
Ingredients
- 10 eggs ideally pasture-raised
- 1 cup milk regular or unsweetened/unflavored plant milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- freshly ground pepper sprinkle
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ onion (large) diced
- 3 stalks broccoli cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
- ½ bunch spinach about 2 cups
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (+ more for garnish) get the good stuff
Instructions
- Preheat: Set oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, smoked paprika, thyme and pepper. Whisk until combined, set aside.
- Sauté: Heat cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet) over medium heat. Add oil, once warm, add garlic and onions and sauté ~5 minutes, or until translucent. Add broccoli, sauté another 5 minutes. Then add spinach and sauté just until spinach starts wilting. Sprinkle cheese over the broccoli spinach mixture. Once it starts melting, pour egg mixture over broccoli mixture, sprinkle a bit more cheese over top and cook just until the sides start setting, ~5 minutes.
- Bake: Put skillet in oven and bake for 20 minutes. You can also test doneness by cutting into the center, if egg runs into the cut, cook for another couple minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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