For those of you who don’t know, I grew up on a farm and gathering the chicken eggs before school was a daily chore.  Although as a child I didn’t appreciate it at 6 AM on a drizzly, cold Oregon morning, now as an adult I look back and realize how blessed I was to have grown up in the country with farm fresh eggs readily available.

We’ve all heard about the many incredible health benefits of eating eggs. But here’s a little refresher on why I think eggs are so amazing: First of all they are incredibly affordable and available basically everywhere. Eggs are also one of healthiest and nutrient dense foods on the planet, containing antioxidants and vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and selenium just to name a few. Eggs are low in calories and high in protein. Did you know that just three medium sized eggs can provide up to 19.5 g of protein? Thats a lot when you consider that the average woman needs about 50 g a day. Another plus is that eggs are very satisfying and are known to keep you feeling full longer, which is beneficial at helping with weight management.

Frittatas are truly one of my most favorite foods to make. They are also, in my opinion one of the world’s most perfect foods. They are inexpensive, easy to make, and a wonderful means to use a variety of leftovers, not to mention delicious any time of day!

I prefer to make mini frittatas for a few reasons, but mostly because they are perfectly proportioned, convenient and less messy than making a large one that needs to be cut  into several slices….

Another reason I love making frittatas is that it’s a great excuse for me to be creative. If my time is limited and I want to make a simple frittata, I do that by just adding mushrooms and cheese to the egg mixture, for example.  Or say I want to be more creative and do more of a Mediterranean style frittata, I would instead add sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and fresh basil to the egg mixture. As you can see, the options are really endless so go ahead and get creative.

Below is my basic go-to recipe for mini frittatas. Enjoy!

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 cup diced chicken sausages (I prefer the fully cooked ones)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup milk (I use whole or 2%, skim will leave your frittatas less fluffy)
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1/2 cup orange bell pepper
• 1 cup grated cheese (I like the shredded Swiss/ Gruyere from Trader Joes)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350°. In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and sauté onions, peppers, asparagus and sausages. Note: If you can only find large asparagus you may want to sauté or grill them separately, as they may need a bit more time to soften.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs and remaining ingredients. Add sausage mixture and asparagus to bowl and stir all ingredients together until evenly combined.

Pour mixture into lightly greased muffin tins, approx 1/4 c each. Bake 20-22 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from cups and serve warm.

*These delicious frittatas can be refrigerated and easily reheated in the toaster oven (or microwave)