Traditionally, pork is a seasonal food that is abundant in the fall. This is why my sausage potato frittata, with onions and spinach, is a recipe we look forward to in the fall.
I wondered by pork, such as bacon, sausage, and pork chops, is considered a seasonally fall food. It turns out that before factory farming was a thing, piglets would grow in the spring and fatten throughout the summer. This would lead them to be ready for slaughter in the fall. Hence, why it is traditionally served with other fall menu items such as apples and cabbage.
A lot of fall breakfasts tend to be sweet. Don’t get me wrong, maple is one of my favorite fall flavors so recipes like my bacon maple cinnamon rolls and apple butter pancakes are made often. However, I always enjoy feeding my family a hearty, protein filled, savory breakfast also. This sausage potato frittata checks that box for us.
Make or Prep Now, Eat Later
This recipe is easy to freeze before it is baked. Make sure to cover it well and that it is sitting level the freezer so that none of the egg drips out. Trust me. I have experienced this before and it is not fun. It can also be frozen after it has been cooked. Make sure the baking dish has fully cooled before covering and putting it in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it completely before putting it in the oven, especially if it is frozen in a glass dish. Cook the raw frittata as according to the recipe. Extra cook time may need to be added if it is still cold in the center. If it is already cooked, thaw it out completely and warm it up thoroughly in the oven at 300 degrees.
This recipe is easy to double, triple, or quadruple. Eat one now and freeze the extras for an early morning, busy fall day, or to gift someone with a hearty meal.
Prepping this frittata in advance, say the night before, is super simple. Just cook the sausage and dice the onions the night before. This requires less cooling time before adding the sausage, onion, and spinach to the eggs. I do not suggest shredding the potatoes until you are ready to add them to the eggs. They can turn very quickly.
Ingredients
- Two tablespoons Avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- Half pound Ground breakfast sausage, cooked
- 1 1/2 cups Potatoes, shredded (or thawed, frozen hashbrowns)
- One Yellow onion, diced
- Three cups Fresh spinach
- Seven to eight Eggs (depending on size), whisked
- Salt, to taste
Additional or Substitute Ingredients for Sausage Potato Frittata
- Shredded Cheese
- Bacon
- Mushrooms
- Green Peppers
- Jalapenos
- Arugula
- Garlic Powder
- Cajun Spices
- Italian Spices
Supplies
Directions for Sausage Potato Frittata
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and use either butter or oil to grease a 9×9 round baking dish.
Crack 7 to 8 eggs (depending on size) into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add Salt and any other spices you would like to use. Whisk with a whisker or fork until eggs are beaten well and blended with the salt and spices.
Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high. When it is hot, add the avocado oil.
Drop the diced onions and ground breakfast sausage into the hot skillet. Stir with a spatula until the sausage is completely brown and the onions are translucent. Add the spinach and stir until it has completely cooked down. If you are using a dutch oven, you can add the spinach, stir, cover it with its lid, and let it cook down, about two to three minutes. Stir occasionally during this time so the spinach does not burn. Set aside to cool.
Wash the skins of the potatoes. Use a grater to shred the potato into hashbrowns. If you wish, you can wrap the shredded potatoes in a tea towel to squeeze out the liquid, but it is not required. Sometimes I do not squeeze the liquid out and it turns out just fine.
Into the eggs, add the shredded potatoes and the cooked and cooled onions, spinach, and sausage. Stir well until everything is combined well and covered with egg.
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and pop into the 400 degree oven. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
Notes
Do not shred the potatoes until they are ready to be added to the eggs. They will turn to a dark color quickly so bake or freeze them in the frittata as quickly as possible.
Make sure to drain as much grease from the cooked sausage as possible before add it to the eggs. The grease does not combine with or cook into the other ingredients.
If you want to use cheese, add it to the top of the frittata when there are only a few minutes of cook time remaining. This will ensure the cheese is melted but not burnt.
Mushrooms are a wonderful ingredient to add to this recipe. If you add mushrooms, you can sauté thinly sliced or diced mushrooms at the same time as the onions. They take about the same amount of time to cook up.
Be aware of the amount of salt you add to the eggs. Breakfast sausage can have a lot of added salt. However, potatoes can require a lot of salt. It is a preference and may take a few tries to determine how much you want to add to this frittata. I suggest to err on the side of caution. If it needs more salt after it is cooked, you can sprinkle it on top and make a note to add more next time. If it is too salty, you cannot take any out and be hard to eat.
Let me know if you have any other ideas on how to customize this frittata. The beauty of it is that you can add or remove ingredients to fit the preferences of your family! Enjoy!
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