Sausage & Spinach Frittata (Keto)

I have been following a ketogenic diet, or as us Ketonians like to call it, way of eating, since April of this year.  I have lost 25 lbs and several inches/sizes, but most importantly, I have gained a self-confidence that I have never had my entire life.  It has really opened my eyes to a lot of things.  My knowledge of nutrition and metabolism is much greater and I have learned that a lot of the information I have been taught since I was young is completely wrong.  The Standard American Diet (SAD) is very unhealthy and it is a major cause of the majority of health epidemics Americans suffer from today.

I've learned a lot about myself as well.  I care less about what people think about me and more about my health and longevity.  I am more in tune with my body and health issues.  I know my trigger points and know how to avoid them.  Body composition is something I still don't fully understand but I am learning on my journey.  All that being said, Keto isn't for everyone, but I haven't met a person yet who hasn't at least gained some benefits from it.  It's anti-inflammatory, easy to stick to (for me at least), and -as with most diets- it compels people to really pay attention to what they are putting into their bodies and the nutrient composition of those things.

I hope you have been enjoying my keto recipes thus far.  My Turkey Zucchini Lasagna is BY FAR my favorite.  It's so flavorful and filling.  You'd never even know it was healthy!

Here's another one of my favorites that goes a long way and is also freezer friendly for you meal preppers out there!  It's great for breakfast or brunch or really any time of day!

Start with a 1/2 lb of ground pork sausage and get it all brown and deliciously cooked through.  I buy the rolls of breakfast sausage from the meat department, but you could always use plain ground pork and add your own spices.  I recommend ground fennel, ground sage, garlic and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like it.  And of course, salt and pepper to taste.  I use a cast iron pan for most of my cooking.  It just makes food taste so much better and you can transfer it right from the stove top to the oven.  Plus it just makes me feel all pioneery.

I weigh everything I put into a recipe nowadays because it just makes it easier to calculate the nutritional value per serving for you guys.  It's a pain in the butt but you're welcome.  That being said, the amounts in my recipes will most likely be in ounces from here on out, so if you're following along, you might want to invest in a scale yourself.  They're inexpensive and sometimes come in handy for other things too.  This is the one I use.

OK, so now get to chopping your veggies.  The name of this recipe obviously doesn't include all of these, but that's only because Sausage, Spinach, Sweet Pepper, Jalapeno, Green Onion Frittata is a bit of a mouthful.  I'm saving you time, people.  Again, you're welcome.

Now it's time to whip up your eggs.  I cracked three whole eggs into a mixing bowl and then separated the yolks out of three more and just added the whites.  I discarded the yolks because I have 30-something chickens and we have so many eggs we don't know what to do with them.  I'm sure there's something I could do with them, but I can't think of anything that important to me.  Seems wasteful, I know.  One of my pet peeves.  Fine.  I'll figure something out.  Geez, get off my back. Anywho...now add the sour cream and whip the living dead out of those eggs until they're nice and frothy.  Makes 'em all nice and fluffy and yummy.  The sour cream adds a bit of tanginess.  I've been adding to my eggs since I stopped buying HWC.  I drink my coffee black now, and I can't use a whole carton of HWC before it goes bad to save my life.

Pour the egg mixture into the cast iron pan with the pork sausage evenly spread out.  Here's a tip: Don't over clean your cast iron pan like a weirdo.  Let it get a good seasoning on it so that it's natural non-stick abilities can shine.  Otherwise you'll be scraping this frittata off the bottom of it like me.  So, yeah.

Next, add the veg.  The secret here is to evenly distribute your veggies.  Nobody wants a to take a bite and get a mouthful of jalapenos.  Ok, I do, but I'm not normal.  So spread those veggies out people!  DO it!  And salt and pepper while you're at it!

Measure your cheese exactly to the ounce and spread it out evenly.  Whatever.  It's close.

Press the spinach down into the egg mixture with the flat side of your spatula and pop that baby in the oven at 400° F for 25 mins.

And THEN.... if you're lucky... no really just follow the recipe ...it will turn out gold and brown and gorgeous like this!!!

Slice it into 6 individual portions and get at it while it's still warm! 

Happy eating and Happy Ketoing!  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground pork sausage
3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites, beaten
2 Tbs sour cream
1/2 oz baby spinach, chopped
1/2 oz mini sweet peppers, diced
1/2 oz green onion, green tops only, chopped
1/2 oz jalapeno pepper, diced
1 oz shredded Mozzarella
1 oz shredded Colby Jack

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Cook sausage in a large cast iron pan until brown.  Add sour cream to eggs and beat until frothy.  Add egg mixture to the pan, spreading the sausage out evenly.  Add veggies and cheese and distribute evenly.  Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Serves 6