For mornings when you need an extra filling breakfast, a cottage cheese egg bake is the perfect option. This dish starts with eggs and cottage cheese, which creates a light and fluffy high-protein base. From there, you can customize the bake to your liking with any combination of seasonings, cheese, meat or veggies. (Check your fridge for leftover ingredients as those come in handy too!) The egg casserole bakes in under an hour and can be made a few days in advance to warm up throughout the week. Read on for tips and a recipe to prepare this flavorful and healthy breakfast dish.
What is a cottage cheese egg bake?
Think of this dish as being similar to a crustless quiche in that it bakes the egg mixture in a pan until it’s completely set. Cottage cheese not only gives the bake a slight tang but it helps create a fluffy texture once baked. This dairy staple is also full of protein, around 12 grams per ½ cup for low-fat varieties, which can help you feel fuller longer and promote strong and healthy muscles.
Easy make ahead trick for a cottage cheese egg bake
Another perk of making this casserole is that you can enjoy it later once it’s baked and cooled. To do this, slice the casserole into even-sized portions, transfer them to separate airtight containers and store it in the fridge for three to four days. You can then reheat it in the microwave, oven or air fryer and enjoy a tasty breakfast in minutes.
A delicious cottage cheese egg bake recipe
This cottage cheese egg bake recipe comes from Mallory the Dietitian and uses a variety of veg, such as tomatoes, zucchini and spinach, for a vibrant dish. Feel free to mix-and-match the ingredients to tailor the bake to your taste buds. According to her site, each slice contains 33 grams of protein—which is a nice dose of the essential nutrient to start the day. (Bonus: Make cottage cheese egg bites by baking the mixture in muffin tins until the eggs are no longer runny and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.)
Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
Ingredients:
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced (about ½ an onion)
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, diced (about ½ cup)
- Half a zucchini, diced or shredded (about ½ cup)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-by-13 inch baking dish by spraying it with olive oil or cooking spray.
- In large bowl, beat eggs, cottage cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder together until fully combined.
- Add yellow onion, spinach, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and half parmesan cheese to large egg mixture. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into greased baking dish and top with remainder of parmesan cheese.
- Bake in oven 35 to 50 minutes or until edges are set and center is golden brown and barely jiggly. Remove from oven.
- Cool slightly and slice into 8 even squares. Serve warm and enjoy!
