Sausage and Potato Frittata

This morning I made my first frittata. I told Adam and his immediate response was "What the heck is a frittata?!" A frittata is a simple egg dish -- like an omelet without the flipping and folding. If you are like me, when I try to cook an omelet I often end up with scrambled eggs. I didn't have enough butter, the eggs aren't folding, the egg isn't cooked through, etc. etc.

I wanted to do something special for Adam (it's his first day back in Boston since last month!) and I knew he would be pleased with a breakfast full of meat and potatoes. While bacon would be his first choice, I opted for a couple-pleasing sweet apple chicken sausage (a pre-cooked sausage that is super easy to use!). For extra nutrition I added some frozen spinach, as well. The combination of sweet and savory for this frittata worked out extremely well. I highly recommend you try it. Don't be intimidated by the name -- I may never make a traditional omelet again!

Sausage and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
  
• 1 1/2 Tbl organic half and half (or whatever milk/cream you have in the refrigerator)
  
• 2 sweet apple chicken sausage links, sliced into rounds
  
• 1 Tbl butter
  
• 1 red potato, diced
  
• 1/3 C frozen spinach, thawed
  
• salt & pepper to taste
  

Method:

1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream and 1/4 tsp salt, set aside.
   
2. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat add the butter and diced potatoes. Coat the potatoes well with the butter and some salt (no more than 1/4 tsp). Add the slices of sausage around the egg of the pan to warm/brown. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir about 5 minutes in.
   
3. Uncover add the spinach. Cook until warmed through. (If you like the sausage a bit crispy you can turn the heat up a bit to try and brown them a bit more).
4. Once all the ingredients are well combined, turn the heat to LOW and add the eggs. Slowly incorporate the eggs with the sausage and potatoes so that they don't just lay at the bottom of the skillet. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes over LOW heat.
5. If the egg has cooked all the way through you can be finished. However I liked finishing my frittata in the oven. Put on the oven broiler and then move the skillet to the top rack of the oven. Watch carefully and take it out when the top has cooked and set (about 3-4 minutes).
6. With an oven mitt (a friendly reminder!) remove the skillet from the oven. Let sit for 3-4 minutes.

The best part about a frittata is that it is traditionally served at room temperature! So this is a great dish for guests when you have lots of cooking going on. I can't wait to experiment with more frittata combinations. However, this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Buen provecho!