"Sausage" Cauliflower, Jalapeno Fritatta

I was so busy on Sunday that, for the first time since converting to a PaleoPlus lifestyle, I didn't make a fritatta or egg muffins for quick grab-and-go meals.  We made it work - we ate fruit and nut bowls, cubed chicken with guac (the longer I eat PaleoPlus, the less I adhere to the guidelines I grew up with for breakfast!) and today I made banana-berry coconut milk smoothies...those were a hit!

So, since I have no deadlines today - just a flow of activity in my kitchen, I decided to try and duplicate or get in the neighborhood of a fritatta I saw on Instagram a week or so ago - I decided to do a little mid-week meal prep and make a sausage, cauliflower, jalapeño casserole.

I put "sausage" in quotes because what I had on hand was a mixture of a little less than a half pound of ground beef/ground pork combo.  I think of sausage as pork exclusively.  I spiced it up and added finely chopped fennel seed (the other must in sausage for me) and then sauteed up a bunch of veggies in the sausage fat.

I made a smallish one...cuz with recipes that you make up on the fly - you don't want too much of an unknown thing!  I did keep my trusty notepad at my side and wrote down what I did - just in case!

Boy, am I glad I did!!!

I am pretty sure this is the best fritatta to come out of my oven!  I ate two pieces for lunch and plan on finishing it up with my family for dinner!  It was spicier and had more fillings than the casseroles I've made before.  I used less eggs and more meat and veggies.  Perfection!

Here's the recipe:

To make the sausage...
1 pound ground beef/pork mixture (or all ground pork)
1 1/2 t ground fennel seed
1 T smoked paprika
1 t cayenne
1 t turmeric
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t cumin
1 t red pepper flake
1 T sea salt
2 cloves finely minced garlic

Brown the sausage in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Once the sausage is cooked through, add the all the spices and garlic and stir to combine.  Reduce heat and let the meat cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

To make the veggie filling...
1/2-1 finely chopped red onion
1/4 jalapeño, finely chopped with ribs and seed removed
1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow) chopped
1/4 head of cauliflower, finely chopped

Once the sausage is cooked, remove the meat to a platter or bowl, leaving the fat in the bottom of the pan,  Add 1 T of ghee to the pan and melt over medium heat.  Add the chopped veggies, cooking until they are cooked through and translucent, about 10 minutes.  Once the veggies are cooked through, add the sausage back into the pan and combine.  Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper or spice to suit your palate.  This needs to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, crack 9 large eggs, add 1/4 cup of full-fat coconut milk and whisk to combine.  Add a pinch of sea salt.

While the filling is cooling, preheat the oven to 350³ and brush a 9X13 casserole dish with melted coconut oil so the fritatta doesn't stick.

Once the filling is cooled, pour it into the oiled casserole dish, spreading it evenly in the pan.  Pour the egg/coconut mixture over the top of the filling, stirring gently with a fork or spoon to make sure everything is combined.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the top and sides are browned and the center is set.

I served mine with guacamole and after taking one bite, I went ahead and got a second square!!!

Enjoy!