A sweet and savory breakfast or brunch treat for fall and winter! This Winter Squash Frittata with Apples and Bacon pairs sweet creamy kabocha squash with crisp sweet apples and savory bacon and eggs for an amazing meal or snack that’s Paleo, Whole30 compliant, dairy free.
What’s that quote about letting a butterfly go? Let it go, and if it comes back it’s meant to be, right? Anyway that happened with Adam and eggs.
I had stopped making him breakfast every morning right around the beginning of the school year because it was a lot on me, and, the kids are first priority there. Plus, I’ve seen him make eggs and he’s capable.
So, apparently he’s been having various fast food breakfast options and realized he wasn’t feeling so great, and, he very sweetly asked me to start making him breakfast again.
Remember that he is someone who ate a cinnamon raisin bagel with nothing on it for breakfast every day for 15-20 years. This real food stuff works, people! That’s all I’m saying here!
Enter the frittata. It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast option in my opinion. You can put in a frittata anything you’d put in a hash, add lots of whisked eggs and toss in the oven. You can save it for whenever you need a quick meal or snack! There, I just basically gave you the recipe.
Do I really have to justify my love for these ingredients? They’re awesome and very seasonal right now, so jump on board with me!
When I go to the grocery store in the fall, I always wind up buying lots of squash, and this year I actually have a greater purpose for all of it other than displaying on my front step until it rots. Who knew these pretty and festive decorations were edible all along?
I’ve been making a lot of breakfasts using squash and felt like kabocha would stand up well in a frittata. And what better to keep it company than one of the 200 apples we still have leftover from picking. So here it is.
Fall Flavors Frittata: Kabocha Apple Bacon
Ingredients
Instructions
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Roast the squash ahead of time! Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and place both halves face down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh is tender but not too soft, kind of like cantaloupe consistency. I had pre-roasted and refrigerated my squash prior to beginning.
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Once you're ready to begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and heat a med-large oven proof skillet (I used cast iron) over med-high heat.
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Cut your bacon into 1 inch pieces. Add the bacon to the pan and stir so it browns evenly.
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Cut your roasted kabocha into half inch chunks (leave the skin behind!)
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Once the bacon is cooked crisp, set aside to drain on paper towel. Retain 2 tbsp bacon fat to cook with.
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Add the chopped apples and squash to the pan and sprinkle with spices. Cook over med heat in the bacon fat until soft. Add the bacon back to the pan and mix.
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Carefully pour the whisked eggs over the apple, bacon, squash mixture to evenly coat and sprinkle with salt. Keep over heat for 30 seconds or so, until the eggs begin to dry around the edges.
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Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake about 15 minutes, minutes until just set. Let cool before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days to reheat as needed.
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Enjoy!
Do you prepare breakfasts ahead of time for something healthy and quick in the morning? What’s your favorite make-ahead breakfast? Favorite fall food?
My Frittata Recipe = look around kitchen, find produce about to expire, chop, dice, throw into pan and bake. Tell family I just worked really hard on a crazy recipe ;).
I like to plan ahead and to make mornings more enjoyable but sometimes it’s a grab and go kind of morning.
Good technique! The outcome is the only thing that matters!
Love squash+apple+bacon. Always a winning combo. I don’t typically go the route of prepared foods in the am, I think because I like to have the little ritual of doing the whole thing–it helps wake me up a little bit. I need to get back to making my oats, and I have a little bit–that was the best wake up 😀
I also like the ritual of making breakfast for myself. My husband leaves zero time to do that for himself though!
I love making frittatas, and this combo of ingredients looks great! I was getting a little tired of the stuff I was making. How would you describe the taste of Kabocha? I have never heard of that kind of squash before.
Kabocha is sweet, pretty dense and not at all stringy – stands up to the cooking well and doesn’t get mushy in my opinion (well, I guess as long as it’s not overcooked 🙂
Wish I could get on the make-ahead bandwagon, but, really, most mornings, I’m just flying around the kitchen in an internal semi-panic from running so late. Working on streamlining my mornings and getting up early regularly.
I am always in an external panic about running late in morning, if there is such a thing. Entirely my own fault and usually I’m not even really late 🙂
Ha. I ate an English muffin with peanut butter every day for a good seven years without deviating. I just couldn’t. Nowadays I am all about oatmeal before and after my runs but am more flexible than I used to be…So we totally need to chat, I am going to email you!
Breakfast ruts happen and can go on for years, so true 🙂
That sounds amazing! Love dishes like that. Funny timing on this post b/c I have been trying to make some breakfasts ahead of time. I just find them more nourishing that something you throw together last minute and I like knowing my kids go off to school on a full belly of something good!
Frittatas and anything baked with eggs work really well for that! I am also familiar with that throw together breakfast feeling in the morning.
Funny you mention the butterfly quote and a kabocha squash recipe today. I’ve been trying to get my husband to eat Kabocha for ages. Especially as a good source of carbs to refuel after cross fit. The other day I made some (the same way I always do) and we had it for dinner then someone said, “Wow, this is so good! Can I have it for my post workout meal tomorrow!” And hasn’t stopped since…. Men!
At least he found out he likes it and is sticking with it!
😆 Until a few years ago, I had no idea squashes were for eating, either — I thought they were just for decoration. And that goes for pumpkin, too! Don’t ask me where I thought pumpkin pie came from. But this frittata looks ah.maze.ing — I’m loving the combo of salty and sweet, not to mention the fall flavours. Kaboch and apple in ALL the things!
I thought the “homemade” ones came from a can so I totally feel you on that 🙂 Salty and sweet is just so delicious!
Love how easy yet beautiful frittatas are! My go-to make ahead breakfast is Diane Sanfilipo’s buffalo chicken egg muffins..so good!
That sounds so good! I’ll have to check that out, love Diane 🙂
If I’m eating hash with my eggs for breakfast, I’ll make a lot of it at once so that I can just heat it up while the eggs are cooking each day. I also make sure to have leftovers from dinner for my lunch the next day because I’m way too lazy to figure out something else to bring with me each day. Leftovers = simple.
This fritatta looks delicious, but.. I just love runny eggs. I feel like I would make this for dinner so that I could still have runny eggs for breakfast 🙂
I’m like that too with the eggs. So I’ve been eating this for an afternoon snack and still making my usual breakfasts, but this works really well for my husband!
This looks so good! I like having hard boiled eggs, overnight oats, or a protein smoothie. If I made this I know my husband would eat this!
Frittatas are so simple and definitely good for husbands that just want to microwave and go 🙂
is it wrong that i want to face plant that right now? SO HUNGRY!
Haha hope you got to eat something good!
I have never heard of that kind of squash. I do love squash. I actually made some spaghetti squash tonight for dinner. This sounds like a great brunch idea.
Kabocha is sweet and pretty dense and it’s amazing roasted all on it’s own.
Well this sounds absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Haha yes while great decorations, they also make great eats too!
Thanks! Hope you try this out 🙂
what a cool new idea to use squash! looks amazing!
Thank you! A good one to try, it’s basic and simple but special 🙂