Ham, Cheese, Broccoli + Mushroom Frittata {#Keto}

Keto Ham, Cheese, Mushroom + Broccoli Frittata

Who loves #brunch besides me? One of my favorite recipes around the holidays is a big egg casserole, quiche or frittata made with lots of delicious ingredients like ham or bacon, cheese, veggies all baked together into a hot, bubbling dish of goodness.

This Ham, Cheese, Broccoli + Mushroom Frittata is also #lowcarb, #keto and #Whole30 diet friendly – something we all are looking for to eat lighter and shed a few pounds after an indulgent holiday filled with rich, carb-laden, sugar-filled foods.

Mix ingredients in large casserole dish

I made the frittata with some cooked smoked ham, broccoli, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, sautéed buttery mushrooms, eggs and a touch of light cream, dried leeks, a dash of onion salt and a little garlic.  It’s all layered together in a casserole dish then baked in the oven for 40-45 minutes, then served at room temperature.

Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and cheeses – some crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon instead of ham. Sub some halved cherry tomatoes, or bell peppers or asparagus, and use some creamy brie or swiss or gruyere cheese would all be equally delicious! Or leave out the meat altogether and make it a #vegetarian egg casserole instead.

The frittata can also be cooked in a cast iron pan on the stove for a few minutes and finished in the oven until cooked through. It can also be made ahead of time and reheated, or served room temperature. Great served with a side salad or fruit salad for brunch. Yum!

Frittata

Happy New Year #2020! 

Keto Ham, Cheese, Broccoli + Mushroom Frittata

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 square (1/8 of frittata)

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 5 cups broccoli
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup cooked ham, diced
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 12 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup light cream
  • 1 tablespoons dried leeks
  • Onion salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh or dried parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Spray a 9x13 or medium round baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Blanch the broccoli for a few minutes, drain and run under cool water, set aside.
  3. Melt butter in a small sauté pan and cook mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until tender and browned. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
  4. Layer the broccoli, mushrooms and ham in the baking dish.
  5. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add cream, dried leeks and season with onion salt and pepper.
  6. Pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies and ham and stir ingredients together.
  7. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, mixing it through the casserole.
  8. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until eggs are set and the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
  9. Serve warm, cut into squares.

Notes

Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and cheeses - some cooked sausage or bacon instead of ham, tomatoes, peppers or asparagus would also be equally delicious and nutritious. The frittata can also be cooked in a cast iron pan on the stove for a few minutes and finished in the oven until cooked through. Can be made ahead of time and reheated, or served room temperature. Great with a side salad or fruit salad for brunch.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2019/12/ham-cheese-broccoli-mushroom-frittata-keto/

Some other frittata/quiche/egg casseroles you might wanna try!

Bacon, Onion + Cheese Frittata

Summer Veggie Frittata

Italian Frittata w/ Potato, Red Pepper + Bacon

Mushroom, Ham + Cheese Strata

Holiday Strata

Spinach, Cheese + Green Onion Quiche

Homemade Rustic Pizzas: Chicken, Garlic, Spinach & Sundried Tomatoes :: Pepperoni, Ham, & Sauteed Veggies

Rustic Pizza

Rustic Pizza

Pizza is probably one of my most favorite things on the planet. Seriously. Who can resist that crispy crunchy crust topped with melted gooey cheese and fresh, savory baked toppings? A pizza is a creative endeavor that is only limited to your imagination. The pizza dough is like a blank canvas just waiting for the artist to paint a masterpiece on.

Speaking of dough, you can certainly take a stab at making your own – here is a basic pizza dough recipe that’s easy enough to make. If you don’t want to bother making your own and want to save time, you can use pre-made refrigerated pizza dough from the grocery store (I get mine from Fairway stores, or you can try Pillsbury pizza dough which is inexpensive and easy to use. They even have Artisan, thin and gluten-free crusts now which is kinda cool.)

I made these rustic pizzas the other day in an attempt to use up some fresh veggies, pizza dough and ingredients from my kids cooking show I taped last week – we made all kinds of fun pizza on set but i couldn’t bear to waste the leftovers!

So here’s how easy these babies are to make…I divided the pizza dough and patted out the dough on to pizza pans to make four rustic pizzas – one of them topped with sauteed garlic, spinach, olive oil, savory chicken,  sun dried tomatoes and plenty of mozzarella gooey cheese. The other one I made with sauteed bell peppers in different colors, broccoli, pepperoni, ham, tomato sauce and two gooey cheeses – mozzarella and muenster, great for melting. The trick to a great pizza in my experience is to saute your veggies in some olive oil and garlic BEFORE you put them on the pizza (the chicken too!). This gives them a deeper flavor and keeps them from drying out in the oven when you bake the pizzas. Throw them in a preheated oven on 400 degrees for about 15-17 minutes, let them cool on a baking rack for about 5 minutes, and then top them with some fresh torn basil, some extra parmesan cheese and pepper flakes and you’ve got some serious deliciousness going on.

Sauteed Chicken, Garlic, Spinach & Sundried Tomato Pizza

Chicken, Spinach, Garlic and Sundried Tomato Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2-4

This is a tasty and healthy pizza made with sauteed garlic and spinach, red pepper flakes, sauteed chicken breast, sundried tomatoes and Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 package refrigerated pizza dough (or handmade)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 package fresh spinach, chopped
  • 6-8 thin chicken cutlets, cut into 1" chunks
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned salt or poultry seasoning
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned (thin strips)
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Divide pizza dough in half and shape into two oval or rectangular pizzas on a greased pizza pan.
  3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on to the base of each pizza dough.
  4. Heat an additional tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan and saute minced garlic and red pepper flakes for about a minute.
  5. Add chopped spinach and stir. Saute together for another 3-4 minutes until spinach starts to wilt.
  6. Remove spinach garlic mixture from pan and set aside in a mixing bowl.
  7. Heat additional 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same pan, add seasonings and saute the chicken for approximately 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from heat.
  8. Top pizza crusts with spinach-pepper-garlic mixture, sundried tomatoes and sauteed chicken (divided into equal portions for both pizzas).
  9. Top both pizzas with shredded mozzarella cheese and place pizza pan in oven.
  10. Bake for 15-17 minutes until cheese starts to get bubbly and golden brown.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/10/homemade-rustic-pizzas-chicken-spinach-garlic-sundried-tomato-pizza-pepperoni-ham-sauteed-veggie-pizza/

Pepperoni, Ham & Sauteed Veggie Pizza

Pepperoni, Ham, & Sauteed Veggie Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2-4

This is a healthy and hearty version of classic pizza made with sauteed garlic, bell peppers and broccoli with diced ham and pepperoni topped with gooey mozzarella and muenster cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 package refrigerated pizza dough (or handmade)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup yellow pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup tomato sauce or puree
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 cup pepperoni, chopped
  • 1/4 cup ham, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup Muenster cheese, torn into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Divide pizza dough in half and shape into two oval or rectangular pizzas on a greased pizza pan.
  3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan and saute minced garlic for about a minute.
  4. Add diced bell peppers, chopped broccoli, salt and pepper and stir. Saute together for 5-7 minutes until vegetables get tender and soft.
  5. Remove pan from heat.
  6. In a small mixing bowl, mix together tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and garlic salt to make tomato sauce for pizzas.
  7. Top pizza crusts with tomato sauce, pepperoni, ham and sauteed vegetables (divided into equal portions for both pizzas).
  8. Top both pizzas with shredded mozzarella and muenster cheeses, sprinkle with garlic salt and place pizza pan in oven.
  9. Bake for 15-17 minutes until cheese starts to get bubbly and golden brown.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/10/homemade-rustic-pizzas-chicken-spinach-garlic-sundried-tomato-pizza-pepperoni-ham-sauteed-veggie-pizza/

***Stay tuned for my new cooking show – Cooking with Color 4 Kids© airs live on Oct 26th at 9:30 am EST on cable TV in NYC!!

Cooking with Color 4 Kids© by Kristen Hess

Channels: Time Warner 34/ Cablevision 67/ RCN 82/ Verizon 42 and the Internet: Channel 1
BCAT TV Network cablecasts in all five boroughs of NYC on Verizon FIOS cable.

If you don’t live in NYC and want to watch the show live online on 10/26, please use this link and watch Channel 1:
http://bricartsmedia.org/community-media/watch-brooklyn-public-network

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE PILOT TV COOKING SHOW TAPING

Savory Sauteed Chicken and Veggie Rice

Savory Sauteed Chicken and Veggie Rice

This is a quick and healthy weeknight dish I whipped up the other day with some fresh ingredients I had on hand in the fridge. It’s got some savory and slightly spicy sauteed chicken made with olive oil, garlic and cajun seasonings (I use Tony Chacere’s Creole seasoning which is awesome). I also added a secret ingredient that I absolutely love which gives it a boost of flavor – Sazon seasoning – a type of seasoned salt found in Spanish and Latin markets (you can also find it online or in the international food section of your grocery store.) The seasoning is used on meats, fish, poultry and to add savory flavor to soups and stews. Typical ingredients include coriander, cumin, paprika, cilantro, achiote, garlic, salt. Try the Sazon by Goya Foods or you can make your own seasoning following this recipe.

Now back to my recipe. I cut up some red, yellow and green peppers and broccoli, (you could also add some corn, peas and carrots into the mix if you like), which I then sauteed with minced garlic and olive oil and tossed into the chicken and garlic mixture, served over cooked rice. For leftovers, I heated up some more garlic infused oil back in the pan and reheated the rice, then added the chicken and veggies into the pan and stirred it all together to mix all the savory flavors together into one big yummy rice bowl. It’s healthy, full of flavor and color and has a little kick to it too. Who said cooking tasty food had to be difficult? This dish absolutely ROCKS. x

Savory Sauteed Chicken & Veggie Rice

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4-6

This is a quick and easy and healthy weeknight dish made with sauteed chicken and veggies with Cajun seasonings served over cooked rice.

Ingredients

  • For the sauteed veggies:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small red pepper, diced
  • 1 small yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 small green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • For the sauteed chicken:
  • 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
  • 2 lbs thin chicken cutlets, cut into strips or chunks
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 packet Sazon season
  • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • White or saffron/yellow cooked rice, for serving
  • extra red yellow and green diced peppers for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the white or yellow rice in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions and drain, set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium and add minced garlic, cook for 1 minute.
  3. Raise heat to medium high and add bell peppers, broccoli and garlic salt; saute for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and set aside in a mixing bowl.
  4. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil and heat in same saute pan for another minute.
  5. Add chicken (make sure to pat dry after rinsing to remove excess water or the chicken will steam instead of saute) to the pan, add Cajun and Sazon seasonings and saute for about 8 minutes until it starts to brown. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  6. Return sauteed veggies to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low and saute the ingredients together for another few minutes.
  7. Place rice into individual serving bowls and serve chicken and veggie mixture on top of the rice.
  8. Add additional cajun seasoning or salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional red, yellow and green diced peppers if you wish (makes it prettier and more colorful!)

Notes

Chef's Note: this tastes better the next day and is awesome if you saute the chicken and veggies in a pan with the rice. Simply add a few tablespoon of oil and start reheating the rice over medium heat and then add the leftover chicken and veggie mixture, stir together and cover with a lid. Let it reheat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and serve. YUM.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/09/cajun-chicken-veggie-rice-bowl/

Savory Sauteed Chicken and Veggie Rice

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Daisy Martinez Arroz Con Pollo

Pioneer Woman’s Mexican Rice Casserole with Grilled Chicken and Avocado

Real Simple Spanish Chicken and Rice