Impress Your Weekend Brunch Guests…..

I have to admit that breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day, but it hasn’t always been. Well, not the breakfast items themselves, but as a kid I hated eating breakfast at breakfast time. Maybe because I wasn’t ever really hungry when I first got up, or breakfast was usually cold cereal or oatmeal with toast, that can get pretty boring.  Now that I’m older I can eat breakfast foods at breakfast or dinner. (I have no idea why they don’t seem appropriate at lunch.) Well, I guess there is brunch, and that is right about where today’s recipe falls.  This recipe is so easy you can just make it for yourself on any day you choose, but elegant enough that you can serve it as a weekend brunch and impress your guests! (Plus, if you serve it alongside a Cherry Sweetheart Braid, a pile of Dutch Baby Minis, or some Fool Proof Cinnamon Rolls you’ll have them cheering!)

This frittata packs 36 grams of protein and is just loaded with goodies. If you are in the mood for more eggs, you might want to stick with an omelet, but if you want the ingredients to be the majority and the egg to essentially be the glue that holds all the yummy stuff together this is what you are looking for. The day I created this hearty, yet delicate, genius I ate half of it fresh, and then ate the other half the next day. I have to say I think it was just as good, if not better, the second day. It wasn’t watery like leftover eggs can sometimes get, it was just as firm, and flavorful, as when it was fresh. I LOVE mushroom and swiss chicken sandwiches and that is what inspired me to create a grilled chicken, baby bella, & swiss florentine frittata. All the same flavors, just in a little bit different way.

While this frittata makes you look like a culinary aficionado, there really aren’t a whole lot of culinary skills that go into it. If you can turn on the oven, you’ve pretty much got it made! 😉 I used grilled chicken because I love the flavor, and I had some leftover from barbequing a few days earlier. I suppose you could use prepackaged grilled chicken to get the same flavor I just don’t like the high sodium content, or the texture. I used baby portabella mushrooms because I like the deep flavor they provide, and their stability in cooking, but I’m sure that white button mushrooms would work just as well. Obviously the swiss cheese is interchangeable with any cheese you choose, but then it wouldn’t be mushroom and swiss. 😉 And of course the Florentine is spinach. I simply julienned some baby spinach. To avoid the frittata being watery make sure that you sauté the mushrooms and spinach slightly. I didn’t sauté them to the point they were wilted beyond recognition. The spinach was wilted, but the mushrooms had released some water, but still held their integrity. (I also chopped the chicken and tossed it in with the veggies to warm it through.) This is a single serve recipe, but you can multiply the ingredients accordingly. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken, Baby Bella, & Swiss Florentine Frittata

By Angie Gouchenour

1 serving

Ingredients

1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms- sliced

½ cup baby spinach- julienned

½ cup grilled chicken- chopped in bite size pieces

1 egg white

1 whole egg

1 Tablespoon milk (I used 1%)

1 slice of thin Swiss cheese

NOTE: I didn’t add any seasoning because the chicken was already seasoned

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400’f

Spray 1-10 ounce ramekin with non-stick cooking spray (Sides and bottom)

In a small non- stick sauté pan wilt spinach and mushrooms and heat chicken through

Place spinach, mushroom, and chicken mixture in the bottom of the prepared ramekin

In a small bowl whisk together egg white, whole egg, and milk

Pour egg mixture over chicken mixture (Do not stir together)

Top with swiss cheese

Place ramekin on a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until cooked through

Remove from the oven and let cool about 15 minutes before sliding frittata onto a plate or serving tray

252 calories