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?

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

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.
Set aside cooked veggies to cool.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease sheet pan *thoroughly*, including every speck of every corner, and up the sides, too.
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.
Pour egg mixture into pan.
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.)
If adding cheese, sprinkle across top.
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!)
Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool before slicing.

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!

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!

Basic Frittata

friday frittata with leftover onions and peppers, spinach, and avocado

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

Preheat oven to 400F.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reduce heat to low and cook for two minutes.
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.
Garnish with avocado (optional) and fresh herbs (optional).
Slice leftovers into portions of your choice, and store in fridge for quick meals during the week.