These easy mini frittatas are just what you need for a quick, nutritious lunch or dinner! Stuffed with pecans and veggies, prep them.
This position was created in partnership with the American Pecan Council. All opinions are ours.
Looking for nutritious lunch or dinner ideas? Aren’t we all. Many readers have asked us for quick, nutritious recipes for busy mornings and office lunches. So Alex and I thought together and came up with a new trick: mini frittatas! Basically an egg based muffin, they’re easy to make and easy to grab when you walk out the door. Chill or freeze them and you can eat them all week long. Best of all: they are Then yummy! They’re packed with colorful veggies and crunchy pecans to add protein and nutrients.
Why make mini frittatas? So many reasons.
What’s so great about these mini pecan frittatas? Alex and I have never made these before, but they’re now part of our easy breakfast and lunch recipes! They also worked for a posh brunch. When you’re hungry, they’re the perfect snack. (Or to satisfy a crabby kid…or a spouse. You get it!) A few good things about mini frittatas:
- They’re easy to make. There’s no need to sauté veggies, so you won’t spoil pans. Just chop up the veggies and pecans, whisk up the eggs and pop in the oven!
- You can serve them cold or at room temperature.. A key to office lunches and busy mornings: no need to worry about warming up! They taste great at any temperature.
- Store them in the fridge or freeze them for on the go. They will keep in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- You are nutritious! Mainly eggs and vegetables, pecans provide additional protein and nutrients. Talk about …
What’s Great About Pecans?
Pecans are the main ingredient in these mini frittatas because we love them! Pecans are nutritious and the ultimate accompaniment to your busy life. The original super nut is:
- nutrient density. Pecans are a good source of fiber and contain 3 grams of plant-based protein, which helps you feel fuller for longer. They are among the richest in “good” monounsaturated fats, flavonoids, and essential minerals (cf “Clever heart! paragraph below).
- Really versatile. You can use them for everything from this frittata to eating them in handfuls! Below are some additional tips.
- Smart heart! Scientific evidence suggests that eating 1.5 ounces a day of most nuts, like pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart disease. A 28g serving of pecans contains 18g of unsaturated fat and only 2g of saturated fat. (Source: US Food and Drug Administration)
To learn more about pecan nutrition, visit AmericanPecan.com.
A few tips: How to make mini frittatas
What are mini frittatas anyway? It’s basically an egg-based muffin! They look like a mini quiche, but the quiche has a crust. And who has time to take care of the crust? There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing these mini frittatas:
- They inflate when cooked but deflate when cooled. Because they’re primarily made from eggs, don’t be surprised if these mini frittatas end up sticking out of the pan while baking. As soon as you take them out of the oven they will deflate to the size you see in the photos.
- Roughly chop the pecans into irregular pieces. To get a good crunch and the look you see here, don’t chop the pecans into fine dust. Instead, keep them slightly larger and oddly shaped.
- Butter the mold generously. You want these frittatas to come out right away, so liberally grease the inside of the muffin tin and spread evenly.
Ways to use pecans in recipes
There are so many ways to use pecans outside of traditional American pecan pie! Alex and I like to make pecan recipes that are delicious (like these mini frittatas) or, frankly, just eat handfuls of them. Here are a few other ways we like to use pecans in our recipes:
- Glazed Pecans: Make glazed pecans by heating them up in a hot skillet with some maple syrup! They add the perfect crunch to salads or eat them in handfuls. These are nutrient rich treats for kids. Our toddler Larson likes to ask with a smile, “Mom, can I have a pecan?”
- Homemade Granola Bars : Pecans are hands down our favorite nuts to toss in cereal. They have just the right nutty flavor and a slightly crunchy texture. Throw this granola over yogurt or eat it in handfuls.
This mini pecan frittata recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
The description
These easy mini frittatas are just what you need for a quick, nutritious lunch or dinner! Stuffed with pecans and veggies, prep them.
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced spring onions
- ⅓ cup diced roasted bell peppers*
- 8th Big Eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (or any kind of grated cheese)
- butter, for greasing
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin pan generously with butter.
- Roughly chop pecans. Cut the spring onions into thin slices. Dice the roasted red peppers.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and a few black peppercorns. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cases (fill about halfway). Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly into each cup. Then garnish with spring onions, then peppers. Finally add the pecans, evenly distributed among the cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffy. (When you remove them from the oven, they will immediately begin to deflate and will continue to deflate as they cool.) Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove. Eat immediately, refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. They make a great breakfast or lunch on the go and are good served at room temperature or cold (do not need to be reheated).
Remarks
*Pot-roasted red peppers are usually available near olives and other canned vegetables.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Mini frittatas, pecan recipes
More lunch ideas
Aside from these mini frittatas, here are a few of our favorite lunch ideas:
- Easy Chickpea Salad A quick lunch idea in 5 minutes! It’s easy to put together: the perfect plant-based lunch or quick dinner.
- Healthy Banana Bread Muffins These Banana Bread Muffins are lightly sweetened and made primarily with oats and bananas! These are mixer muffins, so they’re easy to make at home. Add a handful of pecans for even more nutrition!
- Pear Sandwich This unique combination of sweet and savory hits the mark. Spread cream cheese on bread, then top with crunchy pecans and juicy pear slices.
