Oven-Baked Frittata Cups with Zucchini

Rich, delicate and fluffy, oven-baked frittata with zucchini made in cute cup portions.
Perfect for a fun Sunday brunch or a party with friends!

Here is another easy-to-make recipe for a dish that you can serve in many occasions. From a Sunday brunch to a light family dinner. From a party with friends to a picnic at the beach. Also, perfect for your kids' lunch box. They will have a full serving of protein and vegetables, all in one cup. And it's a cute way to disguise the zucchini in the eggs. Those picky eaters won't even know what's hiding in there.
I posted this recipe before, but as always, I made small changes. And I made a video too. Of course! It's so much easier when you can see all the steps and how easy it is. You will want to try this next Sunday. I'm sure!

With the ingredients in this recipe, you can make 8 frittata cups. These are relatively small servings, so keep that in consideration when planning your menu. If you are serving these for brunch with a salad, and a slice of bread, I would count 3 to 4 cups (or more?!? ;) for each person.
If these frittata cups are just one of a many other dishes served, then I suggest preparing one or two frittata each.
For this recipe I, once again, used my silicone muffin molds: non-stick, easy to clean and very durable. To remove these frittatas from the cups, just carefully run a round-tip knife around the edges, and help yourself with a spoon to scoop the frittata out.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 8 cups (serving 2 to 4 people)

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of ricotta cheese, better if whole milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 zucchini
• salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, with the ricotta cheese, the milk, and salt.

2. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and whisk a bit more.

3. Fill 8 muffin tins (3/4 of the way) with the egg mixture. Grease with spray if you are not using a silicone baking pan. Note: I'm only showing 6 in the picture, but with these ingredients you should be able to fill 8. Do not fill to the top, or there won't be enough room for the zucchini.

4. Cut two zucchini paper thin, using a sharp knife, a peeler or a mandolin.

5. Place about 5 or 6 slices of zucchini on top of each other as shown in my picture. And roll them up.

6. Place one roll of zucchini in each cup.

7. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for  25-30 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden and the eggs are set.


8. Remove by running a round-tip knife around the edges, and helping yourself with a spoon if necessary. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Sinfully Delicious Egg and Pancetta on Toasted and Bread Cups

These cute bread cups have it all: perfectly baked egg, crispy-at-the-edges pancetta, and melted cheesy center. 
All over a golden toasted bread cup.
Brunch can't get any better than this!

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, runny eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps. And check it out: only four main ingredients ... no oil not butter!
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. But eggs is one of those things that you can really eat at any time of the day: for a hearty breakfast, a quick lunch or a fun family dinner.  Also, with these cute and elegant bread cups, you can for sure wow your guests at your next party!
And hey! Mother's Day is right around the corner. You have a week to show this recipe and convince your kids (and your husband) to bake these for you. So you can treat yourself with a lavish brunch ... maybe served in bed :-)
And don't forget, the apple roses would also look really good on that breakfast tray ;-)

Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest using small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups (serving 2 or 3)              Printable Recipe

• 6 slices of bread
• about 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 6 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Remove the crust from the bread slices.

2. Flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin.

 3. Place each slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to spray or grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

4. Sprinkle the bottom of each bread cup with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella.

5. Wrap a slice of pancetta around the edge.

6. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry!  Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

7. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty so don't use too much salt. Bake for about 20 minutes for a runny egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Serve immediately and eat as fast as you can. Buon appetito!

Baked Cheesy Bread Cups filled with Eggs and Pancetta

Make your Sunday brunch a hit with these cheesy bread cups filled with scrumptious pancetta and perfectly baked eggs.

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, soft eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps.
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. Or also you can wow your guests at your next party. These cups make an elegant and satisfying finger food. Why not prepare it this Sunday for your Superbowl party?!? You will no be disappointed.
Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest super thin pancetta or bacon, which cooks faster and it's easier to bite into. And you should use small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups, serving 2 or 3

• 6 slices of bread
• 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 3 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crust from the bread and place one slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, just press it down and it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

2. Sprinkle each bread slice with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella, pushing down with your fingers or spoon. We need to keep as much space as possible in the cup for the egg. Wrap half slice of pancetta around the edge. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry! I will just lose some of the white, but it will look perfect at the end. Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

3. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty. Bake for about 20 minutes for a soft egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Enjoy!

Quiche with Asparagus and Speck

Perfect recipe for this Sunday brunch: savory, rich and creamy quiche with asparagus and speck

This recipe is not only great for Sunday brunch, but also for your next picnic, or a light family dinner next to a big green salad. And assuming there are any leftovers, a slice of this quiche is great for your kids lunch box. Or to pack and take with you to the office on Monday.
For this quiche, I used frozen puff pastry which is one of those things that I always have in my freezer. I promised some of my friends to write a post of  things-you-should-always-have-in-your-freezer/fridge/pantry. Ok, this is one!
It's not complicated to do a pie crust, but it's definitely more time consuming. What's not to love about frozen puff pastry anyways? It's easy. It's quick. It's mess-free. And it's consistently delicious.
This quiche is really fast to assemble. And if you don't find speck, you can always substitute with thin-sliced pancetta, prosciutto or ham.

Ingredients: to make an 11 inch pie

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (I used Pepperidge Farm, frozen)
• 4 eggs
• 1 bunch of asparagus (12 oz, 350 gr)
• 3 oz (85 gr) of speck or pancetta
• 3.5 oz (100 gr) gruyere cheese
• 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
• 12 fl oz (350 ml) whipping cream
• salt

Preparation time: 60 minutes (15 minutes to prepare, 45 minutes baking)
Directions:
1. Thaw the puff pastry if you haven't done it yet.  Remove the bottom part of the asparagus breaking the bottom with your hands (as close to the end as possible). Wash, cut in pieces about an inch in length, leaving longer tips (about 3 inches). Boil for about 5 minutes in slightly salted water.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the quiche or tart pan with butter and flour. On a clean counter, sprinkled with flour, stretch out the dough to fit into a 11 inches quiche pan. Cut the edges. Using a fork, poke holes to the bottom of the crust.

3. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the cream and salt. Drain the asparagus, and add to the bowl, saving most of the tips for decorating.

4. Sprinkle the bottom of the pie with the gruyere cheese and the speck cut in strips.

5. Pour the egg mixture on the pie crust. Decorate with the asparagus tips. And sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes until golden on top.

Enjoy!