Cottage Cheese Egg Bake

Name: Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 lb sausage (turkey, pork or chicken); 12 large eggs; 16 oz cottage cheese; 1 bell pepper (diced); 2-3 cloves garlic (minced); 8 oz frozen spinach (thawed and pat dry); 1 Colby jack cheese (shredded); ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; cooking oil spray

Get ready for this tasty and healthy breakfast and brunch casserole recipe! Cottage Cheese Egg Bake is low carb and healthy, filled with sausage, cottage cheese, spinach and cheese…what’s not to love!

Our egg bake is made with cottage cheese, which makes it both high protein and also very moist and delicious. It is the perfect grab-and-go or sit-down breakfast. Make a big batch for easy reheating all week long, or serve a crowd on special occasion mornings like Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Easter.

A rectangular casserole dish of egg bake made with cottage cheese, spinach, bell peppers and sausage.

Table of Contents

An Egg Bake Casserole with Cottage Cheese

We love egg bakes and breakfast casseroles around here, from the sweet Pancake Casserole to the savory Hashbrown Egg Bake. They are so easy to make and produce so much food!

This easy cottage cheese egg bake calls for my favorite ingredient when making any egg bakes – cottage cheese. I love adding cottage cheese for its creamy texture and extra protein.

Just like the highly popular Cottage Cheese Egg Bites, because of cottage cheese, this egg bake it soft, moist and not ‘rubbery‘ in texture (which was always my personal problem with a lot of egg bakes).

In other words…DO NOT SKIP THE COTTAGE CHEESE! Writing it in caps to express my very strong opinion about this. 😉

Besides cottage cheese, this egg bake is loaded with crumbled sausages, cheese, spinach and bell peppers as well. This combination of vegetables and protein is truly scrumptious. You have to try it to believe it!

I’ve made cottage cheese egg bake so many times over the years — testing the best combination of ingredients and cooking methods and making it for family and friends.

The response is consistently the same – positive ❤️. People rave about it and it truly makes my heart so happy!

A few other things you need to know about this egg bake recipe with cottage cheese:

healthy and low carb – loaded with eggs and cottage cheese, it’s the perfect way to get your protein first thing in the morning.
Straight forward ingredients – calls for a short-list of easy-to-find simple ingredients
Minimal prep time – only 10 minutes of active prep time and send it away into the oven…it doesn’t get much easier than that!
Feeds a large crowd – GREAT for holidays, potlucks and brunch gatherings where you are feeding a lot of people.
Meal prep friendly – make ahead and heat up in the microwave the mornings. Super simple!

A large rectangular casserole of egg bake with cottage cheese sliced into square pieces

Ingredients

Here are the pantry-friendly ingredients you will need to gather to make this delicious cottage cheese egg bake:

eggs – it’s an egg bake after all! 🙂
cottage cheese – small curd cottage cheese works better than large chunk cottage cheese. You can even opt for low fat if you want.
crumbled sausage – pork sausage works but feel free to opt for turkey or chicken sausage for a healthier take. You’ll be using raw sausages and you’ll need to sear it first before adding to the casserole dish. I love using good quality sausage for a tastier cottage cheese egg bake.
spinach – use frozen spinach but make sure to bring to a complete thaw and remove excess water. You can use fresh but it’s better to blanch them first to shrink them if you do.
bell pepper – this brings great flavor and texture to our dish. You can use red bell peppers, green, orange or yellow.
shredded cheese – since our egg bake incorporates cottage cheese, the additional cheese actually help bring some additional creaminess to it. I typically use Colby jack or mild cheddar cheese but any soft grated cheese works.
garlic – fresh garlic produces the best flavor, but garlic powder works in a pinch.
salt and black pepper – basic seasonings are used to flavor the egg mixture

How to make it

Let’s make this easy, delicious, and (yes!) healthy cottage cheese egg bake!

First, cook sausage on the skill until it is fully crumbled and cooked.

Grab a mixing bowl and crack the eggs into the bowl. Whisk the eggs using those muscles!

Next, bring all the other ingredients (except for the crumbled sausages) together in the bowl – spinach, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, minced garlic, salt and black pepper.

Fold to combine.

Mixing eggs, bell peppers, spinach, cottage cheese and cheese in a mixing bowl

Next, grab a 9’x13′ rectangular baking dish and spray it liberally with cooking spray …it’ll save you lots of heartache down the road when you have to clean it. Just trust me on this one.

Layer the baking dish with the cooked crumbled sausage, and then pour the egg and cottage cheese mixture on top.

Crumbled turkey sausage at the bottom of a casserole dish, then topped with egg mixture with spinach and bell peppers

Bake this beauty in the oven at 350℉ for 40 minutes. Adjust cook time accordingly if you are using a different size baking dish.

When egg and cottage cheese bake is done, the tip should be slightly browned and the egg mixture should cook all the way through.

As soon as you remove cottage cheese egg bake from the oven, run a knife along the edge between the egg bake and the casserole dish to help remove egg mixture from sticking to the casserole dish, since eggs are known to stick to pans and it’s hard to avoid that completely.

A top down view of an egg bake casserole filled with spinach, bell peppers and sausage

Slice cottage cheese egg bake into smaller pieces and serve it warm.

Then enjoy this satisfying, protein-filled, very addictive egg bake casserole!

P/S: This makes the most fantastic Christmas or Easter brunch.

P/SS: Leftovers heat up like a dream in the microwave. Seriously, I’ll sometimes have several meals of this (breakfast AND lunch!) because they heat up so well as leftovers, and it is delicious and healthy.

Variations and Modifications

The best thing about this easy cottage cheese egg bake is how versatile it can be! Here are other ingredients you can incorporate instead of (or in additional to) the ingredients listed in the recipe card:

Other vegetables to use: mushrooms, spinach, kale, asparagus, onions, carrots, broccoli
Other cheeses to use: mozzarella, parmesan, or top with crumbled feta
Other meat to use: bacon, ham, Canadian bacon etc.

Make Ahead and Storage

The good thing about Cottage Cheese Egg Bake is you can easily reheat them in the microwave, and heats up really well too.

Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Whether you are making them for a crowd or just for yourself, you can actually make this ahead of time.

Tips and Tricks

More helpful tips for making cottage cheese egg bake!

Spray baking dish generously – Since you are baking an egg and cheese mixture, generously grease your baking dish to prevent as much sticking as possible.
Avoid overmixing – When mixing your ingredients together, it is important to avoid overmixing, as this can create a dense texture rather than the desired fluffy texture.
Bake time will vary – Depending on the amount and moisture in the ingredients used, the cook time will vary. When it is done, cottage cheese egg bake should cook all the way through and the tops should be golden brown.
Run a knife along the edge at the end – As soon as egg bake is removed from the oven, run a knife along the edge between the egg bake and the baking dish to prevent further sticking to make it easier to remove the egg bake when ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you add cottage cheese to egg bites?

1. Cottage cheese adds extra moisture and a creamy texture, making the eggs super soft and not dry.
2. Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, which keeps you full longer.

What other ingredients can I add?

This recipe is very versatile. You can add other vegetables like onions, broccoli, mushrooms, or different meats like cooked bacon or ham. Just make sure any added ingredients are cooked and drained of excess moisture before adding to the egg mixture.

How do I prevent my egg bake from being too wet?

Ensure any additional ingredients like vegetables or meats are cooked and drained of excess moisture before adding to the mixture. Also, make sure to thaw and pat dry frozen spinach.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, this recipe is perfect for meal prep or making in advance for a busy week. Simply bake it, let it cool and store in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through.

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