Frittata Casserole

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups ground sage sausage (or chorizo or ground turkey or any meat)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Leftover carbs (see note)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese (gruyere is great or any cheese; 4 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In your 10-inch cast-iron skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, then remove it with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Add the oil and butter to that yummy fat in the skillet, then add the onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until the veggies have softened.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs and cream with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese.
4. Note: The reason I'm calling this a casserole is because if I have it, I press any leftover carbs I have on hand into the bottom of my cast-iron like a crust. And I do mean "any"--leftover mashed potatoes, rice, grits, risotto, cornbread, hash browns, whatever. If you don't have anything, skip this.
5. So if you have leftover carby-carbs, transfer the sauteed veggies to the same plate as the meat, throw some more butter into the cast iron to melt, then press your carbs into the bottom of the pan. Spread the sausage and the veggies over the crust, then pout the eggs over the whole thing. Let it sit on the burner for a minute or two until the edges just start to set. Then stick it in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Other good frittata combos:

• Ham, swiss 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard whisked into the eggs
• Onion, tons of fresh herbs, parmesan
• Ham, asparagus, gruyere
• Spinach, olives, feta
• Basil, tomatoes, mozzarella
• Mushrooms, bacon, thyme, swiss
• Roasted red peppers, artichokes, goat cheese
• Sausage, pepperoni, green bell peppers, ricotta
• Broccoli, ham, parmesan
• Chorizo, potatoes, cheddar
• Spinach, onion, roasted red peppers, plum tomatoes, feta

Recipe from the kitchen of Jen Hatmaker