Mini Baked Asparagus Frittata aka Savory Muffins (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 9) March 04 2013, 3 Comments

Baked with asparagus, onions and eggs, this deliciously easy asparagus frittata recipe was a huge hit with my family. “Savory muffins!” my daughter exclaimed.

With spring on the horizon, my mind is dreaming of brunch. It is one of my most favorite meals to host because the cooking is easy (and can often be made ahead) and it’s usually during a bright spot in my day when I’m feeling energized and the kids are in a good mood.

No brunch would be complete without my Gram’s asparagus frittata. Having grown up in a big Italian family, there was always lots of food around when we gathered together. Each of my aunts had their domain – crispelles, ravioli, tomato sauce. The list goes on for miles. Among my Gram’s specialties was a simple Italian frittata chock-full of asparagus and ricotta. The smell of this dish simmering always transports me back to her kitchen at Easter time.

“Let’s take our 52 New Foods adventure to Italy” I cheered. There was no debate at the family table, as Italian dishes are some of our favorites. The only condition was that we make homemade pasta – which will be fun but challenging. I still haven’t mastered Gram’s pasta recipes. In the meantime, we decided frittata was an easy place to start.

What we Liked: Thinking the ricotta cheese might be too much for my picky eaters’ palette, I replaced it with mozzarella. To make it more fun, we made the frittata in individual muffin cups. We each personalized our “muffins” – some with more asparagus, some with less. To her surprise, my daughter even enjoyed the ones with asparagus. She liked them so much that she named them Savory Muffins. Bonus: they make an easy addition to your healthy lunchbox.   

Mini Baked Asparagus Frittata aka Savory Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 12 muffins
Crunch a Color points: 15 green

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus
10 eggs
1 potato
½ onion
½ cup shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a muffin tin with oil.

2. Chop the asparagus, onion and potato into ¼” to ½” size pieces. When the kids are chopping, remind them to make a fist to keep their fingers safe!

3. Heat a frying pan over medium. Add the olive oil, then the onions. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes to the onions and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more. Finally, add the asparagus and mix together with the potatoes and onions. Simmer in the pan an additional 3 to 4 minutes (about 10 minutes total). Set aside in a small bowl.

4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and salt.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the greased baking cups, filling about halfway. Add a spoonful of the cooked vegetables to each cup and sprinkle with mozzarella. Add extra egg mixture to fill the cups almost all the way to the top.

Quick Tip: Let your kids personalize their muffins by adding the amount and kind of vegetables that they feel is right for them. Encourage them to make a couple of variations to give different tastes (and new veggies) a try.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. Serve warm!

* Which veggies do you like to feature in your frittata? Share your ideas!  

Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s new food: Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Rachael Ray's Yum-O!, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.