These Egg White Frittata Bites Are a Tasty Protein-Packed Treat & Bake in 15 Minutes!
If you need to spruce up your usual breakfast rotation, a homemade egg white frittata will definitely do the trick. This dish is a baked omelette consisting of egg whites, cheese, vegetables and/or meat. What you end up with is a fluffy egg dish that’s guaranteed to awaken your taste buds. Plus, the protein-rich egg whites fill you up with fewer calories to start your day off right. Whether you're looking to bake a large frittata or mini omelette bites, we've got yummy filling ideas and recipes worth trying. Here's everything you need to know to make an egg white frittata that goes from oven to table in under 30 minutes!
What’s a frittata?
A frittata is an Italian omelette that isn't folded and is mostly baked in the oven. While this dish is typically made with whole eggs, using just the whites creates a lighter yet equally delicious frittata — especially when you fill it up with your favorite ingredients.
The ingredients in an egg white frittata
Similar to a regular omelette, you can use any combination of meats, veggies, cheeses and seasonings in your frittata. For Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD, registered dietitian-nutritionist and owner of Sound Bites Nutrition, this means adding a vibrant mix of veggies to the egg base. “I like to use spinach, onions, peppers, zucchini or mushrooms in my frittata,” she says. "These are easy to prep and provide vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants to your egg whites." Similarly, you can add a variety of meats like cooked chicken, bacon and beef chunks for a meat lover's frittata. For extra flavor, stir chili flakes, garlic powder, hot sauce or herbs into the egg base in addition to salt and/or pepper. Ultimately, the right balance of flavors and textures produces a frittata that your taste buds will love!
How egg whites create a filling frittata
An egg white base adds plenty of appetite-satisfying protein to your frittata for fewer calories. “Egg whites provide complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids needed to make a protein within the body,” Brenna Larson, MS, RD, specialist and registered dietitian at Factor (a meal delivery service), says. “Just one egg white offers 4 grams of protein with only 0 grams of fat and 18 calories.” This is promising as research suggests that consuming protein suppresses ghrelin (a.k.a. the "hunger hormone"), helping you feel fuller and lose weight over time. Coupled with a blend of hearty fillings, an egg white frittata is the clear winner for a delicious and nutritious breakfast option. (Click through to learn more about the benefits of eating protein in the morning for weight loss.)
Bonus trick for making egg white frittata bites
Although a large frittata is great if you’re serving a crowd, individual omelette bites are a nice grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings. To do this, pour the frittata base into a greased or lined muffin pan and bake at 400°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the center is set and the outside is golden. Alternatively, prep light and fluffy omelette bites even faster using a machine like Dash’s Egg Bite Maker (Buy from Amazon, $29.99) — which cooks each batch in just 10 minutes. Once cooked, enjoy the egg white bites right away or store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days to reheat later.
2 delicious egg white frittata recipes
Here, Larson shares two egg frittata recipes — one that produces a full-sized omelette and another for egg white bites. Since each frittata is packed with tasty ingredients, it's essentially a meal all in one dish! (Save those unused egg yolks for another day to make homemade mayonnaise, chocolate chip cookie dough or microwave crème br?lée.)
Kale and Butternut Squash Egg White Frittata
Ingredients:
8 large egg whites (measures to 1 cup)
1 to 2 cups kale, loosely chopped
? bag frozen cubed butternut squash
? yellow or white onion, chopped
2 Tbs. unsweetened almond milk or whole milk
2 to 3 Tbs. crumbled goat cheese
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tsp. garlic powder
? tsp. black pepper
1 to 2 tsp. parsley
Directions:
Yield: 1 large frittata (approximately 6 to 8 slices)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat olive oil in 8-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet pan over medium high heat.
Add in onion, butternut squash, garlic powder and parsley. Cook until onions are translucent and butternut squash is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add in kale, sauté 2 to 4 minutes until wilted.
In mixing bowl, combine egg whites, milk and black pepper and pour into skillet. Let egg mix sit in the skillet 1 minute while topping with crumbled goat cheese
Transfer skillet into preheated oven and bake around 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown and egg base is set. Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Spinach and Feta Egg White Bites
Ingredients:
16 large egg whites (measures out to 2 cups)
? cup cottage cheese
1 cup chopped red bell pepper?
? cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups loosely chopped spinach
2 Tbsp green onion, chopped
? cup crumbled feta
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 to 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray or 12 muffin tin liners
Directions:
Yield: 12 egg bites
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cottage cheese.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, sauté red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder and chopped parsley about 8 minutes.
Add in spinach, sauté another 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. ??Take pan off heat and cool 1 to 2 minutes. Add veggies into egg white mixture and mix together well.
Grease muffin tin with cooking spray or place liners in each opening. Divide frittata base between each muffin cup before topping with feta cheese and green onion.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until eggs are set. ??Cool 5 minutes and carefully remove each bite from muffin tin. Enjoy!
Continue reading for more tips and tricks to cook perfectly yummy eggs!
Chef Reveals the Surprise Secret to Fluffy Scrambled Eggs — And It’s So Easy
This Easy Trick Will Keep Hard Boiled Eggs From Cracking While Cooking
Chef’s Secret to Best-Ever Fried Eggs — It Takes Just 2 Minutes!
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