This easy, high-protein cottage cheese egg bake is one of my favorite breakfast casseroles. Mix fluffy eggs and cottage cheese with bright vegetables, chopped bacon, and even more cheese. It’s even naturally gluten-free. Serve this recipe for a weekend or holiday brunch, or save leftovers for a quick lunch!
This cottage cheese egg bake is a version of my favorite overnight egg bake, this time with creamy cottage cheese and without bread. It’s loaded with colorful vegetables, three kinds of cheese, and salty bacon crumbles, for a high-protein breakfast that’s easy to make gluten-free. I love to serve this hearty casserole for a family brunch (it’s very crowd-friendly!), or turn it into breakfast-for-dinner alongside a fresh green salad. This egg and cottage cheese bake makes an excellent meal prep breakfast, too, as leftovers are great for quick weekday meals or lunches on the go!
WhY This Cottage Cheese Egg Bake IS a Favorite Breakfast
Cottage cheese is a great way to work protein into recipes like pancakes. It adds moisture and richness without compromising the flavors. In this casserole, it also lightens up the filling. Here’s why I love this egg cottage cheese bake:
- Make-ahead friendly. Easy breakfast casserole that can be made the night before.
- Quick and easy. I use a simple ingredients list, with lots of eggs and cheese that make up the base. It’s ready to bake in 20 minutes or less, and easy to customize the add-ins like veggies and bacon, depending on what I have in the fridge.
- High-protein. I love starting my day with a protein-filled breakfast that’s delicious and satisfying. One slice of this egg bake keeps me full until lunch.
- Perfect for a holiday brunch. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and Easter brunch, this cottage cheese egg bake never disappoints a holiday crowd.
Enjoy!
“I have made this SEVERAL times and it is so easy and always a hit. Many people have asked for the recipe. My family often requests it.”
Jan
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients needed to make a cottage cheese egg bake. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Bacon – This not only adds delicious salty flavor, but also texture and protein. Instead of or in addition to the bacon, try sausage or chopped ham. For lean options, try Italian turkey sausage or chicken sausage.
- Eggs – There are a dozen eggs packed into this dish! If you wanted to make this casserole with only egg whites for a lower carb option, substitute 2 egg whites (or 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites) per large whole egg.
- Cottage cheese – This adds light, fluffy body to the egg bake, plus lots of protein. I recommend 4% milkfat small curd cottage cheese, for the richest, creamiest flavor and texture.
- Colby Jack cheese – Feel free to substitute the Colby Jack with another cheese, such as sharp cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss, gouda, or fontina.
- Parmesan cheese – For a rich, salty flavor. Pecorino Romano, crumbled feta, or even goat cheese are good alternatives in this recipe.
- Butter – This adds rich flavor to the overall dish. I recommend unsalted butter so you can better control the overall sodium in the casserole.
- Spinach – I use frozen spinach in this egg bake. To use fresh spinach, sauté or steam the spinach in a skillet until it’s wilted, and drain any excess liquid.
- Red bell pepper – This adds an earthy, sweet flavor, plus a pop of color. You could substitute a green or yellow pepper, or another veggie, like sautéed mushrooms, other kinds of peppers, broccoli, Swiss chard, or kale.
- Onion – I use a yellow onion, but a red onion will also work.
- All-purpose flour – To make this gluten-free, substitute the flour with your preferred all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 To 1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and black pepper – Essential seasoning!
How to Make This Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
These are the easy steps to prepare this cottage cheese egg casserole recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full instructions.
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon using your preferred method, in the oven or on the stovetop, until chewy-crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Then chop bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the filling. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. To the whisked eggs, add the bacon, cottage cheese, Colby Jack cheese, butter, spinach, red pepper, and onion. Mix to combine evenly
- Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, Lawry’s seasoning, black pepper, and half of the Parmesan over the egg mixture, then stir to combine.
- Assemble and bake. Transfer the egg mixture to a greased 9″ x 13″ pan and sprinkle it with Parmesan, bacon, and red pepper. Finish with a sprinkling of Colby Jack. Cover the pan and bake the casserole in a 350ºF oven for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the center is firm.
- Rest and serve. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving
Bake in a Muffin tin
I make my cottage cheese egg bites with a similar recipe, baked in a muffin pan instead of a casserole dish. This is a great way to meal prep an egg bake. After baking, pre-freeze the egg bites on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. They’re perfect for a grab and go breakfast on busy mornings!
Can I Make This Recipe In advance?
Yes! I often bake this dish fresh in the morning I plan to serve it, however, there are options when it comes to prepping it ahead of time.
- Prep it in advance. Cook and chop the bacon, chop the veggies, and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Then in the morning, put the egg bake together and bake it.
- Or bake it in advance. You can bake this dish up to 24 hours in advance and store it, tightly covered, in the fridge, to save yourself time in the morning. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before reheating it in the oven, covered, until hot all the way through.
What to Serve With An Egg and Cottage Cheese Bake
Cottage cheese egg bake makes a welcome breakfast. Enjoy it as a one-dish meal or serve it with breakfast fixings like blueberry muffins, breakfast potatoes, and more. Here are some of my suggestions:
- Brunch favorites: Build a brunch spread around this cottage cheese egg bake. Serve it with sweet dishes like blueberry waffles, buttermilk pancakes, or crepes with fruit.
- Potatoes: Serve cottage cheese egg bake with a side of garlic roasted new potatoes or a cheesy hashbrown casserole.
- Coffee: Try a pumpkin cream cold brew or iced brown sugar shaken oatmilk espresso. And for those 21+, hot buttered rum coffee is fun during the holidays!
- Salad: We eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and this hearty casserole fits into our menus just the same. Add a fresh salad like my roasted beet salad, winter apple salad, or strawberry salad to round out your plate.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store cottage cheese egg bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you are storing the whole pan, cover it tightly with a lid or foil.
- Freeze. This egg bake freezes really well. Place individual pieces in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat. You can reheat individual servings of egg bake with cottage cheese on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave at 30-second intervals until hot. Or, place portions of the egg bake in an oven-safe dish and reheat it in the oven until heated through.
More Breakfast Ideas
Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon divided
- 12 large eggs
- 16 ounces shredded colby jack cheese divided
- 1 package 10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well (squeeze with paper towels)
- 32 ounces small curd cottage cheese – I use 4% milkfat
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup small-diced red bell pepper divided
- ½ cup minced yellow onion
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour – or substitute Bob’s Red Mill 1 To 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more for sprinkling over the top
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- chopped green onion optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook bacon using your preferred method, in the oven or on the stovetop, until chewy-crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Then chop bacon into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs until well combined. Set aside ¼ cup of the chopped bacon, then add the rest to the whisked eggs. Set aside ½ cup of the colby jack, then add the rest to the whisked eggs. Add the spinach, cottage cheese, melted butter, half of the red pepper, and all of the yellow onion. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the flour, Lawry's, black pepper, and half of the Parmesan over the egg mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the egg mixture to prepared 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the top, followed by the remaining bacon and red pepper. Finish by sprinkling the remaining colby jack over the top, plus a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cover pan (with pan cover or foil) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 20-30 minutes more, or until center is firm. If the top starts to brown more than you like, place the lid back on the pan.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving. The egg bake will have a soft texture, due to the cottage cheese. It will continue to firm up the longer it sits. If desired, sprinkle with chopped green onion before serving.
It looks delicious and there are great comments. My only problem is that it is just my husband and myself. We would never get thru a serving for 16. I’m not good at using freezer leftovers and I hate to waste food.
I’ve made this 4 times now. It is so good. We love it for weekday lunches. We have tried it with bacon once, but we prefer it with sausage. Give it a drizzle of sriracha and voila!
FABULOUS!!! Rhiannon – thank you so much for coming back here to let me know + rate the recipe – I really appreciate that!
Made this once before and it was a hit! Wondering if I can make it with fresh spinach and if any changes should be considered?
I’m so glad you like this recipe, Heather – thanks for rating and leaving a comment! I haven’t tried this with fresh spinach, but I would try chopping it fine, maybe fold in 2 cups of finely chopped? If you give it a try, please come back and let me know how it went. Thank you!
This is becoming one of my go-to egg bakes. So good and loaded with protein and veggies. Wes will take the leftovers back to school for quick breakfasts. Say Hi to Jennifer. Haven’t seen her in years.
I’m SO HAPPY to hear this, Danae! Thank you for coming back to let me know + rate the recipe. Hope you’re having a fantastic summer! :)
Hi! I’ve made this several times and it’s a favourite! Wondering if you have a tip to keep it from ‘deflating’ after it comes out of the oven? Sometimes I blend the cottage cheese with an immersion blender to hide it from my kids, wondering if that’s could be the reason or if there’s another way to keep it puffed
This was so good!!! Definitely a recipe to save. Makes a LOT so prepare to freeze some!
If I wanted to make half the amount, how long should I bake it for and what size pan do you recommend I use?
I have made this SEVERAL times and it is so easy and always a hit. Many people have asked for the recipe. My family often requests it. That being said I prefer sausage to bacon because it has more flavor. If you want to kick it up a notch add a small can of jalapeño. DELICIOUS.
So glad you liked this recipe, Jan – thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe! :)
I made this with Canadian bacon it was fantastic, we entertained our 18 yr old grandson who devoured it.
Great recipe, I,m sharing it and plan on making it several more timex.
Thank you
SO HAPPY you liked this recipe, Patti! Thanks a bunch for coming back to leave a comment and rating!
This was amazing!! Followed the recipe as is. This will definitely be put into the normal rotation at my house.
So happy to hear this, Katie! Thank you for coming back to let me know! :)
I am making this tonight! I will let you know how it turns out. I too was in BSF for many years and served on the leadership team for the day women’s class in Arnold Missouri. I am serving it tonight at my home for a small group Bible study dinner.
Does this freeze well? Looks amazing but too much for one week for us :)
Hi Ann – it does freeze well!
I made this for the local community Pastora Breakfast and it was a big hit! Next time I think I’ll add some sausage.
SO GLAD this was a hit! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
This is the best egg bake I have ever eaten. I served it to some lady friends and several asked for the recipe.
Brenda, I had breakfast with your mom awhile back and she made this. I loved it so I made it today and I love it again. :) I did make it with sausage with some bacon on the top. I will be making this again. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy your recipes. Jean
Hi Jean! Mom said she gave you a sneak-peek copy of the recipe, I love that! Sausage AND bacon, now you’re talkin’ – I’m going to try that next, all of us really like sausage. So lovely to hear from you. I hope you’re doing well. Please say hi to Derwin!