This is classic as far as ingredients – sausage, red bell pepper, onion, green chiles, olives, black beans – but the method of cooking is rather unusual. You put the mixture in an oven-proof baking dish and then put the dish in a crockpot. It works surprisingly well and is more forgiving than an oven with respect to overcooking or undercooking. It also has a bit of a different texture, slightly spongelike in that it cooks with little tiny pockets of air. I also found I had to touch it to verify it was done as it had a shiny look when it was fully set which I thought made it look like it was still liquid in the center.
I like this a bit spicy with medium or hot green chiles, but it’s a matter of taste.
Also feel free to vary the ingredients a bit. You might add mushrooms, spinach, cilantro – or try using bacon or a different kind of sausage.
Enjoy & get creative!
- 6 eggs
- ⅓ of a 1 lb chub of Italian sausage
- ¾ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ⅓ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup diced medium hot green chiles
- ¼ tsp salt
- optional: sliced avocado and ½ cup salsa for garnish
- Take a 1½ quart baking dish and make sure it fits in your 6 qt slow cooker. I used an oval baking dish and an oval slow cooker and was surprised at how well it fit even with big handles. You can bake this in an oven if the dish won't fit in the crockpot. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Lightly brown and drain the sausage.
- While the sausage is browning, beat the eggs and add remaining ingredients, setting aside ¼ cup of cheese to use as topping.
- Stir the sausage into the mixture and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cheese on top.
- Place the baking dish into a 6 qt slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or until set. Test by touching the center top of the fritatta.
- Serve with avocado and salsa.
Bake until set, about 45 minutes.
Be sure to check doneness after about 35 minutes.
Leave a Reply