The Best Conversations Happen Around the Table

Whether you are planning a special family get together or just sharing secrets with a friend over an afternoon cup of tea, this sweet and savory combination is perfect for those who don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen.

As I have grown older, I have started to appreciate simple pleasures, like inviting a friend over for tea or having the family over for Sunday brunch. Along the way, I have tried numerous egg breakfast dishes, various French, brioche and sweet roll recipes, and a wide mix of side dishes. But none receive as much praise as my Italian sausage frittata, served alongside a freshly baked scone and a dish of seasonal fruit. I think it’s the combination of the fluffiness and cheesiness of the frittata, an Italian version of an omelet, and the light sweetness of the scone that win their taste buds over. The ease of each recipe’s preparation and the make ahead option, always makes this sweet and savory combination a hit with me.

Below I share the ingredients for both recipes, as well as step-by-step instructions.

SAVORY RECIPE

I first learned this recipe from my Italian mother-in-law. As the years have passed, I have found this no-fuss recipe is my favorite go-to brunch recipe in a pinch and offers a unique twist on the traditional quiche pie. Whether served with a sweet treat, a bowl of fresh fruit or with a slice of toasted Italian bread and honey, you will find this frittata recipe pairs well with many of your brunch favorites and can be modified to add additional ingredients.

Make ahead tip: Cook and slice the sausage the night before and store in an airtight container. Next combine all the other ingredients and store covered in the refrigerator. Then about 2 hours before serving, layer the ingredients in the greased baking dish as instructed in the recipe and bake. Let rest 30 minutes and serve.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE FRITTATA

Makes: 6-8 slices
Time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 doz. eggs
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese (or 10 oz. small container)
• 4-5 cooked links of Italian sausage
• 1 – 8 oz. pkg. mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• Tab of butter for greasing dish

Optional ingredients:

• ¼ lb. Soppressata (Italian style salami – sliced thin) and/or cooked asparagus.

STEP 1: Prep.

Preheat oven to 350 deg.
Grease deep baking dish. (2 qt.)
Cook sausage, then slice.

STEP 2: Mix ingredients.
Beat eggs. Mix in ricotta, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
(Cover and refrigerate if baking the next day.)

STEP 3: Layering ingredients.
Start by pouring the first layer of egg mixture, then a sausage and optional items if used, then another egg mixture layer, then a sausage layer and optional items, and finally top with the balance of the egg mixture.

STEP 4: Bake
Place foil on a cookie sheet, in case of spills, then place the uncooked frittata on top. If you find you have filled your dish to the brim, add a little foil strip barrier around the dish lip. You can remove the foil once it begins to set. As you can see in the photos, I filled mine to the brim and once it began to set, there was no spillage.

Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Rest 30 minutes before slicing. Best when served warm.

COMPLETE RECIPE WITHOUT PHOTOS:

SWEET RECIPE

The combination of the sweet cranberries with a hint of orange zest, make these tasty scones a guest’s favorite. Whether fresh from the oven or prepared the day ahead, this simple scone recipe will soon find its way into your recipe box. It has certainly found its way into mine.

Make ahead tip: These scones can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. I like to make the dough and cut the scones the day before. I then cover and refrigerate them overnight. An hour before serving, I place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven. Cooling slightly before adding the orange glaze.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES
Makes: 8-10 round scones (8 triangle)
Time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:
SCONES:

• 2 ½ c. flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ T. orange zest
• ½ c. cold butter (1 stick) – cut in chunks
• 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
• ½ c. heavy cream (plus 1 T. for brushing tops)
• ¾ c. dried cranberries
• 1 T. raw or turbinado sugar

GLAZE:

• 2/3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 T. squeezed orange juice

STEP 1: Prep.
Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat eggs and cream together.
Note: I like to use a stainless-steel mixing bowls when making scones. They work well with a pastry blender and the butter keeps a little colder.

STEP 2: Making the batter.
Mix/sift dry ingredients together. Add orange zest. Cut-in cold butter with two knives or a pastry blender. Mix until dough becomes crumbly.

Then add the lightly beaten eggs and cream. Save the 1 T. of cream for brushing tops of the scones before baking.

Fold in the dried cranberries.

STEP 3: Making the scones.
Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured board or surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough to a ¾” thickness. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut scones. Push down and then up, do not twist cutter. Collect scrapes and repeat process. (For larger scones, cut dough into 8 pie slices.)

STEP 4: Prepping scones for baking.
Place scones on baking sheet with parchment paper. With a pastry brush, brush tops with remaining cream. Then sprinkle tops with raw sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops and bottoms are slightly brown. Place on cooling rack with wax paper placed below rack. This will catch any of the glazing drips. Let cool 15 minutes.

STEP 5: Glaze
Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice. The consistency should be pourable.
Gradually, pour over slightly cooled scones.

Scones can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or frozen.

COMPLETE RECIPE WITHOUT PHOTOS:

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A FEW OF MY FAVORITE LEHMAN’S BAKING ITEMS:

In the making of this recipe, I used items that I found at Lehman’s in Kidron. The below items can be purchased at the store or on their online store.

COOKIE SHEET
GLASS BATTER BOWL WITH LID
HERITAGE BLUE STRIPE STONEWARE 8″ PIE PAN
PASTRY BLENDERROLLING PINSTAINLESS STEEL BOWLS
This post is sponsored by Lehman’s. As always, all opinions are mine. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that help make my love of baking possible!

Editor’s Note: Any use of the above article or images without prior permission, will be in violation of copyright laws.