Broccoli and Cheese Mini Frittatas

January 18th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast

Broccoli shows up at #37 in the list of 44 Healthy Foods Under a $1 and this is at least true for conventional broccoli – organic tends to be more expensive.

Broccoli is at low risk for pest invasion so it’s supposedly sprayed less than other vegetables, but the Environmental Working Group puts broccoli right in the middle list of their list of Fruits and Vegetables with Pesticide Residue (ordered from worst to best) – what’s a semi-paranoid produce penny pincher to do?

Because broccoli isn’t among the dirty dozen, I split the difference and buy cheaper, conventionally grown broccoli in the winter and go for organic and/or local broccoli in the summer when it’s more readily available and less expensive.  I refuse to fret about it too much – it’s just broccoli for crying out loud, lady!  Put it in the cart and keep moving.

Broccoli is currently ringing up at about $1.69 a pound in my neck of the woods, making it an affordable choice to have on hand for an easy, filling veggie side at lunch or dinner with a bunch of great things going for it.

I steamed a few small crowns of broccoli yesterday while making dinner and decided to use it this morning in some mini broccoli and cheese frittatas.

Mini Frittata Prep

I’ve never made mini frittatas before, but I’m not unfamiliar with the concept –  an easy way to make a healthy, portable breakfast in individual servings thanks to a muffin pan?  Love it!

(Spoiler alert: I did not love the way these mini frittatas stuck to the pan despite greasing it well.  I will make these again, but I will use wrappers next time or just make a big frittata and cut it into squares if I’m desperate for the single serving effect.)

Broccoli and Cheese Mini Frittatas

12 eggs, beaten
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c steamed broccoli, finely chopped
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste, other dried herbs or seasoning as desired

I used my 2 quart measuring cup to mix all the ingredients so I’d have a handle and spout for easy pouring into the muffin tins.

Beat eggs, add cream and chopped broccoli –

Steamed Chopped Broccoli Egg Broccoli Mix

fill each muffin tin near to the top, leaving a little room for cheese.

Mini Broccoli and Cheese Frittatas

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until they are set in the middle.  They will puff up as they finish cooking but will sink when cool.

Mini Broccoli and Cheese Frittatas

If I add up the cost of ingredients (local, free range eggs were $3.50) rounding up to $5 factoring in the cream and broccoli, these frittatas work out to be about $0.40 a piece.  Math, I think I love you.  Broccoli and eggs, you’re the cat’s pajamas too.

There are of course lots of possibilities with mini (or not-so-mini) fritattas, but broccoli is the featured player in today’s Healthy Eating on a Budget post, so I’m not going to steal broccoli’s thunder with a laundry list of other veggie and meat options.  Rock out with your bad self Broccoli!  You da bomb.  The breakfast bomb.  The cheap breakfast bomb.  The cheap paranoid breakfast bomb.  

I’ll stop now.


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5 Responses

  • Jane-you-know-who says:

    Do you have parchment paper? Or maybe cupcake liners would be an aide in extracting those little beauties.

  • Julia says:

    Those look fantastic! Eggs are such an awesome food. And I’m with ya on the broccoli- I want to buy organic, but it is SO expensive. As long as it’s not a leafy green or a fruit with really thin skin (or on that dirty dozen list), I try not to sweat it. It’s not like I’m going to stop eating vegetables because I can’t afford to buy them organic- eating them in some form is better than not at all!

  • Annie says:

    Oh ive made mini muffin sized “poppers” for JJ!!!
    Of course he went and turned all picky on me so now he wont touch em.
    Sigh
    Im gonna whip up a batch for this mama instead so I have quick breakfast options while he eats his plain ole scrambled egges!

    Jeez! Lol