A frittata is an Italian omelette that isn’t folded; the open faced omelette is either flipped or put under a broiler to set the top. I’ve made a few frittata and I’m not gonna lie – they stress me out. Either the bottom gets too brown or the top is a bit runny – there’s always an issue. This recipe is easy breezy; just throw it in the oven and forget about it!
An egg dish in the oven? Isn’t that a quiche? While quiche is delicious, it’s also a calorie bomb. Pie crust in and of itself is over 200 calories per slice; add eggs, heavy cream, breakfast meat and cheese? Yowsa. This frittata would be the high protein, “lighter” option for your brunch.
Swiss Chard is one of the most popular Mediterranean veggies and one of the very healthiest for you (second only to spinach). It’s full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamins and has only 35 calories per COOKED cup. It’s pretty mild in flavor, similar to spinach. Don’t be afraid to give it a try if you haven’t yet – it’s quite easy to work with.
As with any egg dish, this is very customizable. Sub spinach if it’s what you have, use a different cheese instead of feta (though it’s awesome with the feta), or even use a ground sausage of your choice. A wonderful dish for company or holidays, as you can prep it ahead and leave it covered in the fridge until an hour before your guests arrive, then reheat. If you have leftovers freeze the squares individually on a cookie sheet and then wrap each in foil – a great, and very healthy, breakfast on the run. If you wanted to use egg beaters or a carton of whites, you would need two cups worth – an egg is about 1/4 c.
Oven Frittata with Swiss Chard and Chicken Sausage
Serves 4-6Â
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed and discarded, chopped
8 oz. precooked chicken sausage (3 1/2 links), chopped
8 eggs
1/4 c. milk (preferably whole or 2%)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. feta cheese
Fresh parsley, optional, as garnish
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add swiss chard and saute until wilted and mixture is dry – about 5-8 minutes. When the swiss chard wilts it releases a lot of liquid – let it cook down until the pan is almost dry before removing from  heat.Â
4. Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add swiss chard mixture, sausage, and cheese and mix to combine.
5. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick spray and pour in mixture.
6. Bake for about 1 hour or until set. “Set” in this case means that there won’t be any liquid pooled in the top center. Press down with a finger in the middle of the frittata and it will spring back.Â
7. Cool about 10 minutes. Slice and serve. If serving later, cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat 20 minutes in 300 degree oven.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
