Southwestern chicken and veggie frittata is loaded with peppers, zucchini, leftover chopped chicken, a cheesy egg mixture and the perfect blend of spices. This baked frittata is easy to make and delicious for brunch or breakfast-for-dinner!
Tomorrow night is my annual girls gingerbread night, where us grown-ups ditch the kids and make our own gingerbread houses. We get pretty into it and there's usually some friendly trash-talking. And the inevitable collapse of someone's house. And of course there's plenty of food, wine, fun and laughter.
I can't wait!
And tonight I get to hang out with my neighborhood girls group and do a little ornament exchange. Ah, I love all the get togethers around the holidays!
Speaking of, let's get to this great breakfast recipe that's perfect for holiday brunches and Christmas morning.
Previously, I’ve shared my easy baked vegetable frittata, an easy vegetarian brunch or breakfast-for-dinner dish that my mom started making when I was a teenager.
(I was going vegetarian that year and this was about the only thing I’d eat with vegetables in it. At least I’ve made up for it and eat every vegetable in sight now!)
Today it’s a fun flavor twist on that recipe.
This southwestern chicken and veggie frittata is loaded with peppers, zucchini and onion, a really creamy egg mixture (no cream or whole milk needed though) and plenty of chicken and spices to really punch up the flavor.
Plus, you should, of course, add ALL kinds of fun toppings to your plate! (Ideas on those to come.)
This hearty dish is great for brunch, to prep ahead for an easy breakfast and it’s also great as a breakfast-for-dinner dish.
(We usually serve it with a simple romaine salad with Ranch dressing when we do that.)
Also, this smells incredible as it bakes! You are going to have some hungry people waiting around for this to be ready! ❤️
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and FAQs coming up below on how to make southwestern chicken and veggie frittata. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making southwestern chicken and veggie frittata:
- I use chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken, but leftover baked or grilled chicken is fine too. (You can also use Instant Pot shredded chicken, which I try to keep on hand as much as possible!)
- Homemade cornbread is great here, but you could use store-bought cornbread as well. (Or make some from a boxed mix from the store.) You’ll need 2 cups, once it’s crumbled.
- Or you could substitute regular bread if that’s what you have on hand. You’ll need about 3 slices, torn or cut into small cubes.
- This works great with shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese. Or use a combination of those or a Mexican blend cheese.
- Want to make this vegetarian? Skip the chicken and add a cup of rinsed and drained black beans instead. Scrumptious!
Also, you can use a deep dish pie pan or a 9-inch springform pan (I have two of these and love them). I think the springform makes it really easy to cut into the frittata instead of struggling to lift out that first piece from the pie dish.
Want to make it spicy?
Feel free to add in a chopped jalapeño to sauté with the other veggies.
You can also include all of the optional hot sauce - or more - as well as adding in ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the other spices.
And be sure to serve with hot sauce or sriracha for anyone who really loves some heat.
Speaking of serving, you know I’ve got some fun topping ideas for you!
Toppings for southwestern chicken frittata:
- Sliced avocado or a dollop of guac
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Extra hot sauce or sriracha
Lastly, if you are making this for the holidays or for guests and you want to prep it ahead, you absolutely can.
Make ahead tips:
- Prepare the recipe completely as directed below but bake it for just 20 minutes.
- Then let it cool, cover it and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, pull the frittata out of the fridge as you reheat the oven to 375. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until done, hot and set.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend full of friends, family and laughter!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Check out these other brunch dishes to round out your meal:
- Healthy blueberry muffins or strawberry banana muffins
- Baked apple cinnamon donut holes
- Mixed greens salad with fruit
- Yogurt parfaits with granola
- Healthy sausage balls
- Overnight cheese grits casserole
- Champagne brunch punch
Southwestern chicken and veggie frittata
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup red or orange bell pepper, chopped (from about 1 small pepper)
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped (from 1 small zucchini)
- 1 cup red onion, chopped (or sub a yellow or sweet onion)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 8- ounce package plain cream cheese (regular or ⅓ less fat)
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped (such as rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups crumbled cornbread (see notes)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Topping ideas:
- Sliced avocado or a dollop of guac, salsa or pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, Greek yogurt/sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, hot sauce or sriracha
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a deep dish pie pan or 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the chopped pepper, zucchini and red onion for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Alternatively, you can combine the veggies in a bowl, cover and microwave for 5 minutes, until tender. Drain. Let the cooked veggies cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese and milk and beat until smooth. (You can use a hand blender, stand mixer or just a whisk.)
- Add the sautéed vegetables, chicken, cornbread, cheese and seasonings to the bowl with the eggs and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the greased pan.
- Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until set. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve warm with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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