RECIPE: MARTIE'S MINI PARTY FRITTATAS- PERFECT FOR BRUNCH!

I love to make frittatas. Basically, a frittata is like a big baked egg stuffed with deliciousness... and almost anything can go in a frittata. I like to make them on a Sunday night to use up whatever I have leftover in the fridge. This mini version is perfect for any get-together: Breakfast for the kids after a sleep-over, brunch with the neighbors, a bridal brunch paired with a delicious salad, and even a quick supper. Here's a basic mini frittata recipe that you can add your favorites to: Asparagus, corn, tomatoes, onion... just about any combo tastes good baked in eggs.

MINI PARTY FRITTATAS

Makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

8 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup fully cooked ham or Canadian bacon, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced (optional)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to your taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of Cayenne pepper (or dash of Tabasco)

1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 2 mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, add the eggs. Whisk with a fork just slightly to break them up. Add the milk, salt, and peppers and whisk for a minute more to combine. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake 8 minutes or until they puff up and become set in the middle. Serve warm.

RECIPE: MAKE AN EVERYTHING IN THE FRIDGE FRITTATA

When I was growing up, my mom would often make breakfast for Sunday supper. It is something I like to do even now. Another thing I like to do is to find a way to clean out some of the odds and ends in the fridge so they don't go to waste. This recipe accomplishes both of those things... plus it is super simple! Why not look around your fridge, see what you have, and make a frittata for supper tonight? It is also a perfect dish for brunch or lunch- just add a salad.

The basics for this dish are eggs, potatoes, and vegetables... any kind. I always throw leftover potatoes into the frittata but if you don't have leftovers, dice the potatoes, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast them a bit to soften them before you add them to the eggs. You can toss in asparagus, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, or any other vegetable you happen to have around.

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EVERYTHING IN THE FRIDGE FRITTATA

INGREDIENTS

6-7 eggs (the number of eggs depends on the size of your skillet. I have a large 10" cast iron skillet so it requires more eggs)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, diced small

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1 medium potato, diced (use a pre-cooked potato or cook it before adding)

1 tomato diced or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup cheese + more for the top--use any kind of cheese, grated or crumbled (I often use several different kinds to use up the little bits left in the fridge)

Bacon, pancetta, or sausage, cooked

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to broil.

Beat the eggs until frothy. Set aside. Heat up the oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron or oven-proof skillet. Add the onion, veggies, and sauté until golden brown. Add the potatoes, if you've roasted them or had leftovers. Add the eggs. Swirl the eggs around the pan to make sure they evenly cover the other ingredients.

As the edges start to cook, loosen them with a spatula or butter knife to disperse the liquid in the center. After the eggs start to firm, put the pan into the oven and broil 3 minutes or so until the eggs are almost completely set. Remove the frittata and add a bit of cheese on the top, if you like... and who doesn't... return to the oven until it is golden brown, about 1 minute or less.

Remove and slice into wedges. Garnish with bacon crumbles, scallion, or anything else you've used in your frittata.

MY TOP 5 BISCUIT RECIPES FOR NATIONAL BISCUITS AND GRAVY DAY

FEBRUARY 21 IS NATIONAL BISCUITS AND GRAVY DAY!

What could be a better way to start the weekend than with biscuits and gravy? Here are four of my favorite biscuit recipes from my blog and a very entertaining interview with Alton Brown by William Shatner as Alton makes biscuits and gravy. His famous Ma Mae's biscuit and gravy recipe is below.

MOM'S WEEKNIGHT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS The recipe my mom made most often. While she never wrote it down, I made these with her so many times, I doubt I will ever forget how to make them. Get the recipe...

THREE INGREDIENT WHIPPING CREAM BISCUITS My mom would make these biscuits at times if she wanted to serve Strawberry Shortcake and had no cake. They are not sweet but certainly sweeter than buttermilk biscuits. Get the recipe...

BACON CHEDDAR BISCUITS While the texture of these wonderful bites is more like a muffin than a biscuit, take care to make them when you have a crowd or you will eat the entire batch. Get the recipe...

BISCUITS AND CHOCOLATE GRAVY It is said that women living on farms around North Alabama would make chocolate gravy for leftover breakfast biscuits as a treat for the children when they could not afford sweets or desserts. Now, they are more of a brunch item. Made with cocoa and sugar, they are affordable yet rustic decadence. Get the recipe...

ALTON BROWN'S BISCUITS AND GRAVY RECIPE Alton makes his Ma Mae's biscuits and gravy for William Shatner during an episode of Shatner's Brown Bag Tastings. For Alton, a booze and Star Trek lover, that experience must have been the pinnacle. Watch the episode if you want a chuckle. They don't walk through the recipe but Alton does share quite a lot about himself during his chat with Shatner. Get the recipe or watch the video.