I talk with clients all the time about meal planning.  I share tips on ways to make getting meals on the table easier and relieve some of the stress around eating better. Having a plan for dinner meals for the week ahead has made all the difference for my family. But even the best laid plans don’t always go as we want them to.

Recently, I had our plan and had grocery shopped so I thought I had it all together. At 6:00 one weeknight I realized I had forgotten to defrost the chicken breasts we needed for that night’s dinner. Argh!!! We considered going out but didn’t really want to so I did some quick thinking and decided to throw together breakfast for dinner. I did a kid version for the smaller people in our house and a more grown up version for my husband and I. What resulted was a delicious frittata that met our needs for dinner and then gave us leftovers to have the next day too.

Frittatas are crustless quiches that are great for breakfast or brunch, but also perfect for dinner too. They are a terrific way to use up leftovers and an extra bonus is that everything comes together in one pan.

You can go meatless if you like with whatever veggies and cheese you have on hand or do a meat lovers option. Really anything goes when it comes to what you choose to put in your frittata. Some possible options… spinach & artichoke with Parmesan cheese; broccoli, onion, & bacon with Monterey Jack cheese; chicken sausage & kale with feta; smoked salmon & asparagus with fontina. Hungry yet? I am!

A quick tip…Your best bet is to cook everything before you pour your eggs in. If you are using leftovers, warm them a little first. You can use the same oven-safe skillet you will be baking your frittata in.  A cast-iron skillet works great if you have one.  If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet you can also pour all your ingredients into a pie plate.  Here is a recipe to get you started.

Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Frittata

Ingredients
10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz. package mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
6 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup shredded mozzarella
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Squeeze the excess moisture from the thawed spinach. Rinse any dirt or debris from the mushrooms, then slice thinly. Mince the garlic.

Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a oven-safe skillet (cast-iron works great if you have one) spritzed lightly with non-stick spray (or a spritz of olive or canola oil). Sauté the mushrooms and garlic until the mushrooms are soft and all of their moisture is cooked off, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the spinach and sauté until warmed, just a couple minutes.  Turn off heat.

Top vegetables with crumbled feta.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and Parmesan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and feta in the skillet. Top with the shredded mozzarella.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cut into six slices and serve.

Any time you can eat at home rather than eating out or ordering take-out is a win.  So next time you get stuck with no plan and no dinner ingredients on hand, pause and get creative with a grown-up, and delicious, breakfast for dinner.