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Family Kitchen
Brown Rice, Corn, Spinach & Tomato Frittata “Muffins”
Faced with a quantity of leftover brown rice the other day, I decided to turn it into mini frittata muffins – something I’ve done with leftover spaghetti in the past, turning it into larger frittatas. It made sense to use smaller whole grains in bite-sized versions. The result was fantastic. The nutty, slightly chewy rice made these little eggy bites more substantial, and paired perfectly with the summer veg I just happened to have on hand – corn scraped off the cob, ripe tomatoes, and spinach plucked straight from my garden.
You could, of course, use any number of vegetables to make a frittata – whatever is in season or you happen to have in your fridge. It’s a great way to use up scraps of leftovers you may not have use for otherwise – a single sausage, for example, or bits of cheese. Or leftover cooked rice. Cook any fresh veg to get rid of excess moisture.
Divvy the mixture up between muffin tins (mini or regular sized), and top with beaten egg. More cheese on top is a very good thing.
Bake until puffed and golden. These are ideal warm or cold, and are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail parties – how many recipes are as infinitely adaptable?
Cold leftover frittata muffins are divine cut into quarters and added to a big salad, like protein-packed, gluten-free “croutons”.
Brown Rice, Corn, Spinach & Tomato Frittata “Muffins”
canola or olive oil, for cooking
3/4 cup corn kernels (about 1 cobs’ worth)
1 cup cooked brown rice, short or long grain, cooled
1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
1-2 packed cups baby spinach leaves, torn into pieces
5 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated old cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Parmesan, crumbled feta or goat cheese (plus extra for on top, if you like)
salt and pepper to tastePreheat the oven to 375°F.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat. Sauté the corn for 2-3 minutes, then add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until the corn is starting to turn golden. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juices. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
Meanwhile, stir together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Divide the rice and vegetable mixture between small or regular sized muffin tins that have been sprayed with nonstick spray, and pour the beaten eggs overtop. If you like, sprinkle with more grated or crumbled cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and set. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Makes lots.
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11 Comments
Brent commented on Jul 10 11 at 11:12 pmHave you tried with egg beaters/egg substitute by any chance?
JulieVR commented on Jul 10 11 at 11:17 pmNo, but I imagine it would work just fine!
varsha garg commented on Jul 11 11 at 9:29 amcan i ve an egg substitute….since i m a veggei n donn eat eggs…
Lisa E. commented on Jul 11 11 at 9:58 amThese are excellent! I tried a few varieties using different vegetables and cheeses, and they were all delicious! My favorite combination had broccoli, tomatoes, corn, peppers, onions, basil and sharp cheddar. The only problem I had is that I ran out of the egg mixture before I had filled all my muffin cups, so next time I’d do 6 eggs with a little extra milk. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
aggieskitchen commented on Jul 11 11 at 11:14 amI love this!!
CaitVaughn commented on Jul 11 11 at 4:29 pmIn my family these are called “quffins” (quiche-muffin hybrids) and are often made with holiday brunch leftovers. My mom sometimes even does them sweet rather than savory (berries and slightly-stale croissants or cakes, like a very very eggy bread pudding/baked custard hybrid). The savory ones are great for on-the-go lunches as well, since they freeze nicely and thaw over the course of the morning without refrigeration.
Ellen commented on Jul 17 11 at 7:05 pmJust curious…the recipe says that ‘this makes lots’. I’m making them for a crowd of 30 and very curious how many muffins come from the list of ingredients. Any estimates? Ellen
JulieVR commented on Jul 18 11 at 4:41 pmI’d say 2-3 dozen – I have a couple different sized mini muffin tins, so it depends on the size. 3 dozen of the small ones, approximately!
Anony commented on Sep 28 11 at 9:52 amHi, I came across this page on StumbleUpon and was intrigued by the simplicity of this recipe, so I tried making it tonight for dinner.
It was quite tasty, my only complaint was that it was rather bland. I added thyme, basil and some other Italian herbs to it, but that wasn’t enough. I regret not adding tomatoes (I had a can of diced canned tomatoes that I really wanted to add but my bf doesn’t like tomatoes), perhaps that might have made it juicier.
I don’t have muffin tins so I made it in a square casserole dish. Used basmati rice,broccoli, peas, corn, onion, chilli and some minced garlic.
Anyway the boyfriend and I polished off our dish with the help of soy sauce (his preference) and ketchup/sriracha (mine). I really do like this recipe, it’s a great idea. Thanks!
Shanti commented on Oct 01 11 at 10:52 amWe had these for dinner and really enjoyed them! Sauteed garlic and onion first before adding the other veggies (tomatoes, brocolli, green and orange peppers, and corn) and brown rice. then to the egg mixture added dried basil, a dash of frank’s hot sauce and worchestershire sauce along with the s&p.
Faith commented on Nov 30 11 at 2:42 amthese look so good i will be trying them out. any idea on the nutritional content?
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