Chicken Breakfast Sausage Frittata

What is a frittata?  Be honest, that was your first question.  A frittata is a quiche without the crust.  It is a baked egg dish with delicious ingredients that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is great for several reasons - it can be made ahead and reheated, it is a great way to use up leftovers and it can be using all local ingredients. 

To make this frittata I only used local ingredients.  The eggs I used were from my CSA box but can be bought at the G&G Long Island Winter Farmers Market or at Garden of Eve Farm during the spring and summer months.  The milk is from Ronnybrook Farms which is also at the Winter Farmer's Market but is also sold all year long at Whole Foods.  The cheddar is also from the Winter Farmer's Market but local cheese can be found at Whole Foods.  The chicken breakfast sausage is from Dines Farms, found at the Winter Farmer's Market and NYC farmers markets as well.  The chives are from my garden, which has sprouted chives already this early in the season.  This recips is a great example of how you really can love and live local.  All of the ingredients are organic except the sausage, which is naturally raised.

This recipe can be altered easily.  Substitute the chicken sausage for pork or turkey.  Change the cheddar to whatever cheese you have in the fridge.  Replace the chives with parsley.  Add spinach, use ham etc.

Ingredients:

Pam or other nonstick spray
3/4 - 1 lb chicken breakfast sausage, removed from casing and broken into pieces
8 large eggs
1/2  cup milk (whatever you have in the fridge)
1 cup shredded cheddar or other sharp cheese
3 TBS finely chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Here's how:

Spray and large nonstick frying pan with Pam.  You need to use a pan that can go into the oven, so no plastic handles.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the chicken sausage into the pan and cook until just browned and all the pink is gone.  Do not cook it too much, because it will finish in the oven.

Dine's Farms chicken breakfast sausage

Starting to brown the sausage.  Casings are removed.

Sausage brown and ready for the egg mixture

Crack all of the eggs into a large bowl.  Add milk and whisk until scrambled and incorporated.

8 farm fresh eggs

Add cheese, chives, salt and pepper.                                                                                                          

Chives added to egg and milk mixture

Sharp cheddar shredded and ready to add to eggs

Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the sausage and stir.  Cook for one minute on the stovetop swirling constantly making sure nothing sticks.

Swirling in the pan for one minutes

Place the pan in the oven for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the eggs do not move when you shake the pan.

Remove and let cool on the counter for 5 minutes.  Use a nonstick rubber spatula to go around the edge of the eggs to loosen it from the pan.  Cut and serve or flip over onto a plate to serve.

Slice the eggs like a pie.  Serve hot or warm temperature.

The frittata can be made the day before and reheated in the microwave.  If you slightly undercook it, place it in the fridge, it can be reheated in the oven for 10 minutes.  It stays for several days in the fridge.