School has started here. Boo! Hiss!
Elizabeth and I both started school on Friday, but Christopher’s first day was Monday. Sunday night, I laid out everybody’s uniforms and socks and shoes and belts. I packed lunches. I made sure everything was ready.
Brees woke me up early, whining and growling in his crate. He never does that, so I knew something was wrong. So at 4:30 – a full hour before my alarm was set to go off – I was up, letting the dog out. Christopher stumbled into the kitchen and told me that he had been awake for a little while. I told him to go back to sleep, got the dog inside, shooed him into his crate, and tried to sleep for a little while longer – knowing that I had a long day ahead of me.
When I got up later, got dressed, and headed to the front of the house, a delicious aroma was wafting from the kitchen. I rounded the corner and saw Christopher standing with a bowl in his hand, eating his breakfast.
“Wow!” I said. “That smells incredible! What did you make?”
He took another bite before nonchalantly answering, “A pot pie I found in the garage freezer.”
“What?” I asked. My heart sank, but I knew that it was true. He had rummaged around and found my stashed-away, break-glass-only-in-case-of-emergency pot pie! The one I had hidden in there months ago for one of the days when I was tired and beat down and in need of some homey comfort.
He ate it for breakfast.
Yes, I know it was just a pot pie.
But it was MY pot pie!
Don’t worry. I’ll get over it.
And find another hiding place next time!
After school, Elizabeth and I dragged home. There’s tired – and then there’s beginning-of-the-school-year tired.
She asked if she could wait a bit before starting her homework and I said she could.
Christopher was at football practice and Michael soon left to go and get him. I decided I had to get off the couch and make dinner.
I needed quick. I needed easy. I needed football player filling.
I decided to make something that used lots of our favorite ingredients and I ended up with this delicious frittata. I make frittatas often because they are easy to make and they are usually low-carb. I also usually make them in a rectangular baking dish instead of a skillet because I can make them bigger that way.
Mushrooms are a favorite in our house. And who doesn’t love a good BLT? I used spinach instead of lettuce because I knew it would hold up better. So I guess my BLT is a “Bacon Leafy Green and Tomato” sandwich! Whatever it is, it’s good!
Mushroom BLT Frittata
- 1 pound of bacon
- 1 pound of sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 3-4 cups of fresh baby spinach
- 10 eggs
- 1 cup of milk, half & half, or heavy cream
- Salt
- Cajun seasoning
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Drain all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook on high heat until browned and softened – 5-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and stir 2-3 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Chop the bacon and add it to this mixture. Pour into a large, deep dish pie pan or a 9X13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Isn’t that pretty?! I almost hated to pour the eggs over it!
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk and whisk to completely combine. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning and whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the mushroom mixture. Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes – or until the middle is cooked through.
Well Duh #1: You can use regular white mushrooms, if you prefer.
Well Duh #2: If you don’t want to use the Cajun seasoning, just use a teaspoon of salt and a half-teaspoon of black pepper.
Well Duh #3: I find that roma tomatoes are good most of the year. If they’re in season, you can certainly use regular tomatoes – or even use cherry or grape tomatoes that you have cut in half.
Well Duh #4: If you’re using an oven-safe skillet, just leave the mushroom mixture in it. Pour the egg mixture over the top and cook on medium heat until the edges begin to set. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until done.
Well Duh #5: Don’t freak out if your frittata puffs WAY up while it’s cooking. It will settle down once it’s out of the oven and cools for a couple of minutes.
Not the best picture, because I was being rushed by the hungry tribe. I just wanted you to see the layers of mushroomy goodness!
There was not a single complaint from anyone about this dinner! Well, there was one from Elizabeth, but that was because she had fallen asleep and didn’t want to get up to eat and do her homework. When Christopher and Michael arrived home, Christopher had blood all over his face from a busted nose. My Mom-Sense turned on and I asked, “Oh, baby! Are you okay?” He simply shrugged and said dryly, “Yeah, Mom. It’s just football.”
Still, it’s hard to hold a pot pie grudge when you’re worried about your baby!
So I made sure he had a good dinner!
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