Why This Recipe Works
Our goal was to develop a frittata that doubled as a breakfast and an easy-to-eat make-ahead keto bite. It needed the visual appeal and flavor of the traditional skillet-baked dish, and a short baking time
for weekdays. A nonstick muffin tin was the solution. The individual frittatas required just 12 to 14 minutes in the oven, were flavorful, and easy to store. We half-cooked the sausage and softened the red
pepper in a skillet. After the mixture cooled, we stirred in grated yellow cheddar.
An earlier test kitchen recipe had recommended increasing the fat content in the mini frittatas to help them release easily from the tin. In that version, mixing the eggs with half-and half instead of milk did the trick. But for the keto diet, half-and-half lacked enough fat so we tried heavy cream. That yielded delicate frittatas that released easily from the pan but weren’t greasy when eaten warm or at room temperature. To bake, we divided the sausage mixture between six cups of a 12-cup muffin tin and ladled the egg-cream mixture over. Add-ins like mushrooms or asparagus were delicious substitutes for peppers, contributing a vegetable element and color contrast; scallions imparted subtle onion flavor.
Directions:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Generously spray middle 6 cups of 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with olive oil spray.
- Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage, bell pepper, and scallion whites and cook, breaking up sausage with wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink and pepper is softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool slightly.
- Beat eggs, cream, and pepper in separate bowl with fork until thoroughly combined and mixture is pure yellow; do not overbeat. Stir cheddar and scallion greens into sausage mixture. Divide sausage mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups. Using ladle, evenly distribute egg mixture over filling in cups. Bake until frittatas are lightly puffed and set in centers, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Transfer muffin tin to wire rack and let frittatas cool for 10 minutes. Run plastic knife around edges of frittatas, if necessary, to loosen from muffin tin, then gently remove. Serve.
Muffin Sausage With Cheddar
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage casings removed
- ½ red bell pepper 4 ounces, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1 scallion white and green parts separated, sliced thin
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded (¾ cup)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Generously spray middle 6 cups of 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with olive oil spray.
- Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage, bell pepper, and scallion whites and cook, breaking up sausage with wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink and pepper is softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool slightly.
- Beat eggs, cream, and pepper in separate bowl with fork until thoroughly combined and mixture is pure yellow; do not overbeat. Stir cheddar and scallion greens into sausage mixture. Divide sausage mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups. Using ladle, evenly distribute egg mixture over filling in cups. Bake until frittatas are lightly puffed and set in centers, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Transfer muffin tin to wire rack and let frittatas cool for 10 minutes. Run plastic knife around edges of frittatas, if necessary, to loosen from muffin tin, then gently remove. Serve.