Healthy Hash Brown-Crusted Rosemary and Thyme Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Cauliflower Rice

Have I got a recipe for you today. That title is a little bit of a mouthful, huh? I just wanted you guys to know all the goodness that was jam packed into this healthy hash brown-crusted frittata that has rapidly become a staple in this household. It's SO good. The look on Matt's face when he tried it for the first time told me this was a winner. We've been enjoying it as a fun dinner to make on a Sunday night. It's comforting but easy and then makes for great breakfast or lunch leftovers during the week.

Speaking of leftovers, I recently learned that there are two camps on whether leftovers are a YES or an absolutely not. This was shocking to me, because I love leftovers. For one, they're easy and I'm all about that. But I also like to repurpose them. Like isn't it awesome to have prepped grilled chicken or a rotisserie chicken to use during the week? Or leftover roasted or grilled vegetables for a salad? YUM. The good news here is this is so good there's a chance you're not going to have any leftovers for those of you averse to them. For those that are a fan, this tastes fantastic reheated or served cold! What camp do you fall in?

There are so many awesome things that I want to share about this healthy hash brown-crusted frittata. I need to make a list:

• Foodi Ninja and Cast Iron Skillet Versions: I have made this in a cast iron skillet AND the Ninja Foodi and it turns out perfectly with both! The Ninja Foodi version bakes faster and you don't need quite as much oil to coat the bottom. But the cast iron skillet gives it a cool rustic look and is very easy.
• Packed with vegetables: This is loaded with vegetables, but you won't really notice. I debated whether to even put cauliflower in the title, because you don't notice the cauliflower rice at all. It completely blends in with the egg and all you notice are the delicious caramelized onions, mushrooms, and chicken sausage. Sneaky sneaky... How many uses are there for cauliflower rice? Endless.
• Whole30-compliant: This hash brown-crusted frittata is a perfect meal for anyone doing Whole30. All you have to use is Whole30-compliant sausage. The good news is ALDI's organic spring greens or mild Italian chicken sausage would be perfect in this dish.
• Huge serving size: The serving size for this is huge. I'm a volume eater (as you may have guessed based on the massive number of vegetables I consume), which is why I used more egg whites than eggs. Like 1/4 to 1/3 of the skillet is a very reasonable serving. However, if you're making this for a crowd and need to feed more people, simply use more eggs and less egg whites. It will be super delicious and more calorie dense so that your guests are satisfied with a smaller piece.
• Perfect any time of day: This is perfect for any meal. Of course this is a perfect brunch option, but as I mentioned it's a great easy dinner and perfect for an easy lunch (served with a side of greens would be perfect).
• Totally customizable: You can easily customize this to accommodate your preferences. Don't like mushrooms? No prob - omit those. Vegetarian? Sub for a veggie sausage or leave it out all together. Don't like caramelized onions? WHAT?! I guess you could swap those out, too. I loved the idea of How Sweet Eat's quiche with a hash brown crust recipe, but wanted to create a lighter version. She uses roasted asparagus which would be a great option. This would also be delicious topped with feta.
• Easy: I wanted to keep this recipe easy, so instead of shredding potatoes for the hash brown crust I just used pre-shredded frozen potatoes. And I don't even heat them up before putting them in the pan - just pour them right on in and continue to press down on them as they bake. Of course, if you want to make your life more difficult use fresh potatoes you can totally do that.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Please let me know what you think if you give it a try.

Hash Brown-Crusted Rosemary and Thyme Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Cauliflower Rice

This healthy and flavorful recipe is the perfect brunch for guests. It also makes for a fun dinner and reheats perfectly for a quick breakfast or lunch option during the week!

• 4-5 cups shredded hash browns, fresh or frozen
• 1-2 tsp ghee
• 2-3 tsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 onions, sliced
• 8-12 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1.5 cups cauliflower rice, frozen
• 3 eggs
• 8-9 egg whites*
• 1/3 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 tsp dried rosemary
• 4 ALDI chicken breakfast sausage links, chopped**
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Cast Iron Skillet Version

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. F

2. Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms: Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once ghee is melted add sliced onions and sautee until starting to soften. Add minced garlic and mushrooms to the pan. Stir intermittently until onions and mushrooms have carmalized (around 10 minutes).

3. Hash brown Crust: While onions and mushrooms are cooking, add 1 teaspoon of ghee and 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a 10" cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add about 4 cups of frozen or fresh shredded hash browns (enough to cover the botton of the pan) and press down to evenly distribute. Continue to intermittently press down as the potatoes soften. Allow to cook until bottom is brown and crispy (about 10 minutes), then turn off heat.

4. Cauliflower Rice: While hash browns and mushrooms and onions are cooking, add 1.5 cups of frozen cauliflower rice to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 4 minutes.

5. Whisk eggs, egg whites, thyme, rosemary, and a dash of salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk.

6. Add caramelized onions, mushrooms, cauliflower rice, and chicken sausage in with the eggs and mix well.

7. Pour egg mixture into the cast iron skillet with the hash brown crust. Transfer to oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the center is set and top is golden brown.

8. Let cool for a few minutes and then use a sharp or serrated knife to cut and serve. This tastes great warm and cool!

Foodi Ninja Version

1. Prepare caramelized onions and mushrooms and cauliflower rice as described above.

2. Hash brown crust: Select the "saute" mode and set to medium heat. Add a light drizzle of oil to the bottom of the pot. Add about 5 cups of frozen or fresh shredded hash browns to the bottom and lightly press to cover the bottom of the pot. Cook until the bottom starts to brown and become crispy (about 10 minutes if frozen). Intermittently press down as the potatoes become softer. Once the bottom has browned set Foodi Ninja to "Broil" and cook for 5 minutes to lightly crisp the top of the crust.

3. Whisk eggs, egg whites, thyme, rosemary, and a dash of salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk.

4. Add caramelized onions, mushrooms, cauliflower rice, and chicken sausage in with the eggs and mix well.

5. Pour egg mixture into the Foodi Ninja Pot over the hash brown crust. Select "bake/roast" setting at 375 deg F. Bake for approximately 14-15 minutes or until the center is set and top is golden brown.

6. Let cool for a few minutes and then slide frittata onto a serving plate or cutting board. Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut and serve. This tastes great warm and cool!

*8 for cast iron pan, 9 for Ninja Foodi 

**ALDI's apple maple and country style breakfast chicken sausage links both taste great.  Use ALDI organic chicken sausage for Whole30 compliant version and decrease to 2-3 because they are larger.

 

FYI: Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links. That means as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only link to products that I own and love. Thank you for stopping by and for your support. <3