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Sheet Pan Frittata

By Jen

Repeat after me:

A fueling, tasty breakfast ready and waiting in my fridge definitely makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning! 

Okay, okay. No, you don’t have to repeat that. But, yes, I am trying to sell you on just how good it feels to wake up knowing that you already have breakfast figured out and done. It’s a beautiful thing.

When this is ready and waiting in your fridge, you know it’s going to be a good breakfast.

I don’t know about you, but having a ready-to-eat breakfast is my favorite way to start the day. On a busy weekday morning, I don’t even want to think about any kind of meal preparation. Getting out of bed is hard enough on its own! Prepping a big batch of breakfast foods like this sheet pan frittata really helps me solve that challenge. And when breakfast feels this easy (and delicious), it somehow makes me feel a lot more prepared to plow through the rest of the day’s challenges and tasks. 

If you want to auto-pilot your breakfast, and you’re also looking for easy ways to add more veggies to your plate, this sheet pan frittata is your solution.

You can make this at the beginning of the week, and dip into it for days, in lots of different ways:

  • Pair it with some fruit on the side.
  • Slap it on a piece of whole-grain bread (like this Mestemacher rye I love), or tuck into a wrap.
  • Use it to build a brunch-worthy meal by enjoying it with some Greek yogurt, berries, (and maybe oats, too?) on the side.
  • Heck, you can even enjoy it as a snack!

To make this recipe even easier, feel free to rely on pre-chopped/shredded veggies, or your leftover cooked veggies for your add-ins. This can save you one step on the prep.

So, the basic steps look like this (see recipe text below for full instructions):

Add-in ideas:

  • Mushroom, arugula, and feta: 10-12oz sliced mushrooms, several big handfuls of arugula, ¼ cup feta
  • Western omelet-style: 1 large onion chopped, 1 ½ green bell peppers chopped, 1 6 oz. package Canadian bacon, chopped
  • Broccoli, sliced tomato, and oregano
  • Whatever veggies you have on hand that you need to use up! 
  • Really, whatever combination sounds delicious to you.

I’d love to know how it goes if you add this to your meal prep this week! What did you use for your add-ins? What did you pair it with to make a meal? 

Print Recipe
Sheet Pan Frittata
Easy, sheet pan frittata that helps you hit your veggie goals, and sets you up with a delicious breakfast option for several days. No judgment if you eat it for lunch and dinner, too.
Course Breakfast
Servings
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 16 ounces carton pure egg whites 16 ounces is a typical size you'll find for carton of egg whites.
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking veggie add-ins or oil of your choice
  • 2 teaspoons butter for greasing the sheet pan; substitute with a different fat if you need to keep things dairy free. Please note that oil doesn’t seem to work as well as a more solid fat like butter in preventing the eggs from sticking.
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ½ - 1kosher salt choose amount depending on how salty your add-in ingredients are
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Just eyeball it!
  • spices and herbs optional
  • Veggie add-ins (and whatever else you like to add - turkey bacon? sausage? cheese?
Course Breakfast
Servings
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 16 ounces carton pure egg whites 16 ounces is a typical size you'll find for carton of egg whites.
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking veggie add-ins or oil of your choice
  • 2 teaspoons butter for greasing the sheet pan; substitute with a different fat if you need to keep things dairy free. Please note that oil doesn’t seem to work as well as a more solid fat like butter in preventing the eggs from sticking.
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ½ - 1kosher salt choose amount depending on how salty your add-in ingredients are
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Just eyeball it!
  • spices and herbs optional
  • Veggie add-ins (and whatever else you like to add - turkey bacon? sausage? cheese?
Instructions
  1. If necessary, cook any veggies you’re adding to frittata. You can cook in a heated skillet (using the two teaspoons of oil) until softened, or gently steam, or microwave briefly. Leftover roasted veggies are also a great option for your veggie add-in.
  2. Set aside cooked veggies to cool.
  3. Preheat oven to 400F.
  4. Grease sheet pan *thoroughly*, including every speck of every corner, and up the sides, too.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add egg whites and whisk to combine. Whisk salt and pepper into egg mixture. If you are adding any spices or herbs, whisk them into the egg mixture.
  6. Pour egg mixture into pan.
  7. Gently add cooked veggie (and whatever else you’ve got in there) mixture into egg mixture on sheet pan. The easiest way to do this is just to add a little bit at a time, by hand or with a spoon. Distribute the veggie mixture evenly across pan surface. (If you prefer, you can instead, add veggie mixture to the sheet pan first, and then pour egg mixture over that. Your call.)
  8. If adding cheese, sprinkle across top.
  9. Very, very carefully transfer pan to oven. I will be honest - you need a steady hand for this so you don’t end up spilling liquid eggs all over the place. I recommend sliding the oven rack out slightly before you place the sheet pan on it. And, once you’ve placed the sheet pan on the rack, slide the rack back in very slowly. (Trust me. Learn from my mistakes!)
  10. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool before slicing.

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes Tagged With: batch cooking, eggs, meal prep, sheet pan

Frittata 101: How to Make the Perfect Frittata

By Jen

Okay, so maybe perfect is a stretch, but that’s the beauty of this whole frittata thing. It doesn’t need to be perfect! Whew, right? Who needs perfection on a busy weeknight, anyway? There are some basic techniques and steps to follow, but beyond that, you can just get in there and do your thing. Add your favorite veggies, or, even better – use up the odds and ends of veggies that are hiding in your fridge. Want to add some more protein in the form of ham or sausage? Slice that up, and go for it. Does a little bit of feta, goat cheese, or cheddar work for you? If you need to keep things dairy-free, garnish with avocado slices. Feel free to add in fresh or dried herbs if you like. You do you!

Frittata know-how is one of those must-have kitchen skills that can help you throw together a healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner with very little effort and time. It’s also a great staple for batch-cooking meal prep, because you can double, triple, quadruple, etc. the amount to fit your household’s needs.

Eggs are a rich source of protein and healthy fats, so a frittata is a wonderfully satiating choice for breakfast. And, really, who has time to cook eggs from scratch every morning? The frittata is a shining example of how, with a little bit of meal prep, real food can be the easy, convenient, “fast food” choice.

Frittata made with tomatoes and zucchini

Nope, not pizza! It’s frittata made with zucchini, garlic, italian herbs, parmesan, and sliced tomato. Pizzata?

My recipe below is based on using eight eggs. Depending on your serving-size needs (1 egg? 2 eggs?),  it it makes 4-8 servings. This recipe is totally customizeable, so if you need to serve more than that, a 12-inch skillet can easily accomodate up to a dozen eggs. Also, if using a 12-inch skillet, I recommend using at least six eggs. If you plan to use less than six eggs, I recommend using a smaller, 9 or 10-inch skillet.

Use a heavy, sturdy skillet, as it conducts heat so much better. Cast iron is nice, but not necessary. You’ll need to use an ovenproof skillet, as the final cooking step involves the oven.

And one last bit of advice . . . be sure to coat the pan thoroughly with the oil. Baked-on/cooked-on egg is no joke, and will leave you scrubbing your pan for an hour. Ugh. Properly oiling the surface will make all the difference in the world!

If you want to go even bigger, try out my recipe here for Sheet Pan Frittata!

A slice of frittata from your meal prep stash is an easy way to build your plate for a quick lunch or dinner.

So good at breakfast with my favorite side – steel-cut oats, berries, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom!

 

Print Recipe
Basic Frittata
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 8 eggs
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups veggies, chopped (raw or cooked; see instructions below)
  • 4 tablespoons cheese (optional)
  • fresh chopped herbs, or dried herbs and spices (optional)
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 8 eggs
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups veggies, chopped (raw or cooked; see instructions below)
  • 4 tablespoons cheese (optional)
  • fresh chopped herbs, or dried herbs and spices (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. If you are using herbs or spices, add them in at this point, and combine thoroughly.
  3. Heat a 10-12 inch heavy skillet over low to medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Try to rub a little bit of the oil up the sides a tiny bit (I usually use a scrap of paper towel or a pastry brush to do so). This will prevent egg from sticking on the sides of the pan.
  4. Once oil is heated, add in raw veggies, and saute until softened. Cook time will vary depending on your choice of vegetables. If you are using pre-cooked veggies, do not add them at this point.
  5. Pour egg mixture into skillet, right over the sauteed veggies (be sure to spread them evenly around the pan before you add the egg mixture to the pan). If you are using pre-cooked veggies, add right on top of the egg mixture, being sure to distribute evenly (to make sure everyone gets their veggies!). If you are adding cheese, sprinkle it on top.
  6. Reduce heat to low and cook for two minutes.
  7. Turn off stovetop heat, and place skillet in preheated 400F oven. Cook for approximately five minutes, until eggs are set. Cook time will vary slightly depending amount of ingredients you used.
  8. Garnish with avocado (optional) and fresh herbs (optional).
  9. Slice leftovers into portions of your choice, and store in fridge for quick meals during the week.

Filed Under: Blog, Meal Prep/Meal Planning Tips, Recipes Tagged With: batch cooking, easy, eggs, meal prep, quick

Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats

By Jen

While it can be exciting to try totally new foods and combinations, it’s also perfectly fine to stick with classic, comfortable favorites like these Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats. In my house, with two teens, busy schedules make it a challenge to get everyone around the dinner table at the same time. So, if I can make the meal preparation part easier with a simple dinner like this, that makes everything else go more smoothly!

This comfort-food recipe is one of our fall and winter favorites. The sloppy joe mixture includes a hefty dose of onions and peppers, and with an added veggie side like a leafy green salad (or, my lazy veggie side pictured here – pickles!), it’s a well-rounded real-food meal that even a picky eater can appreciate.

Here are some ways you can jump start your prep ahead of time, to get this dinner on the table even more quickly:

JUMP START:

  • Chop the onion and pepper earlier in the week, and store in refrigerator until use.
  • Sweet potatoes can be cooked ahead and stored in refrigerator until use. A quick reheat is all they’ll need.

If you’re going to spend time making this recipe, you might as well leverage your efforts and make a little bit extra of some of the ingredients to repurpose in other meals during the week. I like to call these my “Now & Laters” – I’m prepping some for now, and some for later use in other meals, with hardly any extra effort.

NOW & LATER:

  • The sloppy joe mixture freezes very well, so consider doubling that part of the recipe, so you can store a batch for a quick dinner another time. A 12-inch or larger skillet is best to use if doubling the recipe.
  • Throw extra sweet potatoes on the baking sheet, which will give you enough for another dinner later in the week, or to have with eggs at breakfast, or to tuck into a lunchbox or burrito bowl.
  • Wondering what to do with the rest of that tomato paste in the can? Scoop it out in tablespoon-size portions on a baking sheet or dish, and place in freezer. Once they’re frozen, remove from dish, and store them in the freezer in a container or ziploc bag. Let’s face it, you typically only need a tablespoon or two in a given recipe, so why buy a new can each time? This saves you the hassle of shopping for it over and over again.
Jen prepping sweet potatoes for the oven.
prepping sweet potatoes for the oven . . . with extra to use later in the week

Print Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef (If possible, choose grass-fed. I typically use 85% lean or 90% lean.)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I used extra virgin olive oil.)
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons Montreal seasoning Check label for “clean” ingredients. My favorite one is from Teeny Tiny Spice Company.
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • approx. 2 cups tomato sauce canned, not marinara
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in half lengthwise
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef (If possible, choose grass-fed. I typically use 85% lean or 90% lean.)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I used extra virgin olive oil.)
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons Montreal seasoning Check label for “clean” ingredients. My favorite one is from Teeny Tiny Spice Company.
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • approx. 2 cups tomato sauce canned, not marinara
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in half lengthwise
Instructions
For the Sloppy Joe mixture
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and beef to the pan, spreading it around the pan to break it up. Add honey and Montreal seasoning, and stir to combine.
  2. When the meat has browned, add the onion and red pepper.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and cook for five minutes.
  4. Add vinegar, stirring briefly to reduce, then add Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and paste, stirring to combine.
  5. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture five minutes longer.
  6. Serve each portion of meat on ½ cup or so of baked sweet potato. If you want the "boat" effect, scoop out a bit of the potato to form a boat shape which is perfect for holding the sloppy joe meat. The extra, leftover sweet potato can be reserved for another meal.
For the sweet potatoes
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment for easier clean up.
  2. Rinse potatoes and scrub clean. Cut in half lengthwise.
  3. Rub cut side with a little bit of oil, and then season with salt and pepper (or for any extra potatoes, add your favorite spices).
  4. Place cut side down on baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes (until soft).

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes Tagged With: comfort food, gluten-free, sloppy joes

Feeling Nourished, Not Famished is the Real Secret to Getting Lean and Healthy

By Jen

If you’re working on getting leaner & improving your health, please know that the process does not have to include deprivation and hunger. In fact, any “diet” or meal plan that has you eating too little, or restricts you to a very narrow range of foods will, you guessed it, leave you feeling hungry and deprived. Though such a diet might give you an initial burst of weight loss and energy boost, ultimately, the deprivation will catch up with you, slowing your metabolism and stoking your cravings.

For most of us, when it comes to fat loss and improved health, the magic occurs when we nourish ourselves each mealtime with real, minimally refined foods, in a balance of protein, fats, and slow-digesting carbs. Amount matters, too – if you eat until you are no longer hungry (but not stuffed), you’ll probably notice that you feel more filled and fueled between one meal and the next (and you won’t need those 13 snacks in between!).

While elimination diets can be a very useful tool in determining food sensitivities and allergies, they typically are not intended to be a way of eating for life. While we all vary slightly from one person to the next in food preferences and intolerances, “you do you” is a very helpful mindset in figuring out what works best for you. For example, maybe your friend can’t tolerate dairy, but you do fine with a bit of cheese or Greek yogurt here and there. Or, maybe you have a friend who swears by going ultra low carb, but, for you, low carb results in low energy, stalled fat loss, disrupted hormones and raging cravings.

Bottom line? When it comes to determining *your* magic formula, eating meals of real, minimally refined foods (in a combination of protein, fat, and slow carbs), and eating to satiety are a great starting point. Fine tune from there to figure out what keeps your hunger, cravings, and energy levels in check.

Learn more here about how to get started.

Filed Under: Blog, Getting Started, Real Food, Real Health, Why Real Food works Tagged With: cravings, diet

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About Me:

Hi, I’m Jen, and welcome to Nourished Not Famished. Here you’ll find recipes, meal ideas, and wellness tips to thrive without deprivation, restriction, or calorie counting. Nourish yourself and your loved ones with the pleasures of eating real, whole foods, using familiar, easy-to-find ingredients and without spending endless hours in the kitchen.  Find out about more about me here.

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PSA 📣: You don't have to be an all-or-nothing f PSA 📣: You don't have to be an all-or-nothing food perfectionist to see health improvements or physique changes. Are you a Food Realist or a Food Perfectionist? Are you #allornothing or "it depends"? 
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It's tempting to think that perfection is the best path to hitting your goals. And by perfection, I mean you have a list of foods that you are trying to *completely* avoid (and not due to allergy or intolerances). And maybe that works for you . . . until it doesn't.🤷‍♀️😆 #beentheredonethat
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For example, maybe a heaping dinner plate of pizza several nights a week isn't helping you meet the health goals you're chasing. But you really love, love, love pizza. 😍 And when you tried to swear off pizza completely, you found yourself craving it even more. 
.

Instead of all-or-nothing thinking, find ways to build your plate so that you can make pizza *part* of a more balanced meal occasionally. For example:
➡️ add a heap of fiber-rich veggies on the side (salad? raw & chopped? roasted? include some beans or legumes in there, too? #youdoyou 
➡️ include some form of protein on the side 

Adding these other elements to your pizza plate leaves you feeling more satiated and energized by your meal, *and also* helps you keep pizza in your life. #winwin

Being a food realist can really transform your path forward. It makes change feel more sustainable, which is the secret to making change stick! 🎉

What's one way that being more flexible and less rigid about food actually helped you make healthier changes in the long run?

How can you be a food realist over this weekend? What does that look like for you?

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#foodflexibility #realfood #honoryourhunger #nourishednotfamished #weekendeats #ditchthediet #buildyourplate #foodblogger #healthyliving #healthymadeeasy #healthymadeeasier 
#pizza #balancedplate #simplenutrition #healthyhabits #tinyhabits
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Beating the midweek slump with these easy taco bow Beating the midweek slump with these easy taco bowls.😍🎉 These bowls are a great example of #simplenutrition - that eating for health can be (and ideally should be):
✔️ delicious
✔️ satisfying
✔️ easy, unfussy
✔️ flexible (especially key when you're getting meals on the table for an entire household)

This meal is a balance of protein, fat, and carbs, and includes plenty of colorful, fiber-rich plant-y foods and vegetables. #balancedplate

It came together easily because I incorporated leftovers and batch-cooked foods. Lazy #mealprep for the win! 🎉

Check out my stories for all the details, but here's the gist:

👉 ground turkey (and leftover diced onion and pepper) cooked in taco spices
👉 creamy buttermilk red cabbage slaw
👉 light red kidney beans (from freezer batch-cooking stash)
👉 fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime #zing
👉 Trader Joe's quinoa chips crumbled on top for some satisfying #crunchfactor (because a variety of textures in a meal really satisfies! #kitchenskills)

#ditchthediet #honoryourhunger #nutritiousisdelicious #nourishednotfamished
#eatingskills #tinyhabits #behaviorchange #juststart #practicenotperfection #mealprep #mealplan #recipe #tacos #plantforward #macrobowl #feedingmyfamily 
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Cheers to trying new things.🎉 What new things a Cheers to trying new things.🎉 What new things are you trying this weekend? #growthandchange 
I cooked some #wholegrain teff this morning, and topped it with banana, toasted walnuts, Greek yogurt, honey, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pretty tasty!

not pictured: some turkey bacon in the side 😍

I am going to continue to experiment with different cooking methods with this grain, and see what the fam and I like best.🙂

#teff  #wholegrainssamplingday #intactgrain #slowcarbs #gi #balancedplate #homecooking #recipe #kitchenskills #weekend #realfoodmadesimple #flavorfirst  #nutritiousisdelicious #carbs #protein #fat 
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If you're looking to ditch the nutrition overwhelm If you're looking to ditch the nutrition overwhelm, give a #balancedplate approach a try. It's an easy way to adopt a way-of-eating that helps you:

✔️ meet your energy and nutrient needs to keep you feeling energized from one meal to the next, and also serve your longer-term health goals (no obsessive tracking or counting necessary!)
✔️ build satisfying meals that taste good *to you* #youdoyou
✔️ And it frees up your energy and headspace to *enjoy* eating your meals (instead of stressing over them).

Think you'll give it a try?
👉 start with foods you actually enjoy eating
👉 aim to include protein, a slow-acting fiber-rich carb, plenty of veggies, and some healthy fats in your meal
👉 aim for non-starchy veggies to equal about 2x amount of your carb (Don't be rigid about it.)
👉 No, you don't have to eat a balanced plate 100% of the time. That's unrealistic, and unnecessary. #thatslife
👉 Savor the meal, enjoy the experience. Put down your fork now and then between bites, and take a few breaths. This not only enhances the experience, but also helps you be more in tune with your hunger and fullness cues. 

❓
Have you tried this approach?
If you have, how did you make it work for you?
What did "flexibility" look like for you?

❓
If you haven't tried this before, do you think this could help simplify mealtime and nutrition for you? 

🌟Check out my stories highlights ("Make Healthy Changes Stick") for all the details on the balanced plate lunch in my pic! 📷

#eatingskills #simplenutrition #honoryourhunger #ditchthediet #veggies #protein #fat #carbs #slowcarbs #nourished #nourishednotfamished 
#healthy #healthyhabits #ilovefood #healthymadeeasier 
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