Mini Chorizo Frittatas

NOTE - I've updated this post with new photos, some extra tips and a few new thoughts. Apart from a little re-ordering in the instructions, the recipe remains unchanged.

Friday morning marks the start of the Dubai weekend and it's right up there as one of my favourite parts of the week. It's not that it's particularly quiet or indeed, without activities - swim training is pretty relentless like that - but the pace of the morning, without school and work, has an almost relaxed air to it and we don't see too much of that around here.

#1 and #2 teenage sons both train in the morning, so there is dropping off and picking up for one, overlapped with dropping off and picking up for the other. Teenage boys who are always hungry are even more so after powering up and down the pool for a couple of hours, so by the time everyone is home at 11.30am there is serious eating to be done.

There's something rather warm and homely about a lazy weekend breakfast. There's time to chat a bit, enjoy a leisurely coffee and have an extra slice of toast ... even cracking open a jar of marmalade if we're feeling particularly racy. Friday morning is far enough away from Sunday that nobody has quite stepped over into the dark side of thinking too much about homework and weekend chores and maybe that makes it the most 'free and easy' part of the week. Whatever we're eating for this late Friday breakfast needs to be a million miles away from functional weekday cereals and preparing something hot has got to be a significant first step to getting it spot on.

These Mini Chorizo Frittatas tick so many boxes when it comes to a glorious weekend breakfast. Not only are they warm, tasty and nutritious, but they are also quick and easy to make, as well as a perfect choice for the whole family. Most recently, I served these with oven-roasted tomatoes, baked beans and some warm toast. Yum.

How to make these Mini Chorizo Frittatas

1. Lightly grease a silicone or non-stick 12-hole muffin tray.
2. Prepare the fillings.

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3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C/350°F (gas mark 4).
4. Break the eggs into a jug and add the milk (or your chosen alternative). Beat the mixture well with a fork. Then add in the chopped parsley and season. Now beat again to ensure that everything is fully mixed. NOTE - The general rule of thumb is 1 egg for every 2 frittatas.
5. Pour a little of the egg mixture into the bottom of each muffin hole.
6. Divide the chorizo, potatoes and spring onions between the 12 muffin holes.
7. Carefully pour the remaining egg mixture between the 12 muffin holes and top with the grated cheese.

8. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until a little firm to the touch.
9. Remove from the oven and serve warm or allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge.

So here's why these Mini Chorizo Frittatas are sure to become one of your weekend favourites -

• They cook much quicker - Making these frittatas muffin-sized means that they cook much quicker, so there is more 'lounging around the table' time and less 'hovering around the oven' time. I use a silicone muffin tray but I do find that the tray benefits from being brushed with a touch of oil to prevent sticking (even if the instructions say it's not necessary). A non-stick tray is your next best bet but, again, grease it a little as scraping cooked egg out of the inside of a muffin tray will completely negate all that "I love a weekend breakfast" happy vibe.

• The filling can be prepared ahead of time - It's also hugely convenient that the filling for these frittatas can be prepped ahead of time and shared out between the muffin tins so that when you're ready to cook, the egg mixture can be poured in and they can be popped in the oven. Get the oven preheating and you're talking 15 minutes from walking through the door to sitting down to eat.
• They are great for feeding a crowd - And the whole convenience thing makes them ideal if you are feeding a crowd for breakfast. Much easier than trying to cook scrambled, fried or poached eggs for 6, 8, 10 ...
• Perfect for using up leftovers - The fillings need to be pre-cooked but this is a great way of using up a bunch of leftovers. Just loosely fill the muffin holes with your chosen goodies, leaving a bit of space for the beaten egg. The potatoes that I used in these photos were leftover Paprika Potatoes and worked perfectly.
• And the frittatas keep well to BECOME leftovers - Once cooked, these will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and would also make a good breakfast on the run ... or a perfect addition to a packed lunch ... or for a picnic ... or an 'anytime' snack. I love them with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce or a splodge of chutney.

What about other flavour combinations?

The key filling ingredient is the potatoes but beyond that, you can let your creativity run wild. Here I've used chorizo, spring onions, cheddar and a touch of parsley but why not try a combination of these fillings -

• goat's cheese, blue cheese or feta cheese (or a combination if you have bits of cheese to use up)
• oven-roasted cherry tomatoes (less watery and more flavoursome than fresh)

• roasted sweet potatoes or leftover chips
• lardons, smoked salmon, slices of cooked sausage, spicy cooked chicken (maybe from a rotisserie)
• peas or sweetcorn
• fresh herbs such as basil, dill or coriander or perhaps a light sprinkling of fresh chilli
• a little harissa or pesto mixed through the egg. The list could go on and on.

Fancy giving these Mini Chorizo Frittatas a whirl? You know you do ...

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