This delicious Egg and Cheese Casserole is the perfect dish for a weekend brunch. It's easy to whip up in a few minutes and is always a hit with a small group or a crowd.
I recently wanted to make an egg casserole for brunch that did not have meat or bread. Surprisingly, most of the recipes I found had vegetables, meat, and bread. However, I wanted a simple recipe with a minimum number of ingredients—a brunch dish made only with egg and cheese but had a silky smooth texture.
My friend Sarah told me that she had a wonderful recipe for a breakfast casserole that her aunt made for Christmas morning in the 1970s. She said it is the most requested recipe for family brunch. The original recipe called for more butter. However, Sarah experimented with various amounts of butter and found she could reduce it without impacting the richness of the casserole. That's a win since it lowers the amount of fat, making it healthier without giving up taste or texture.
I decided to make it for my family. My husband loves meat and bread, and I was not sure if he would like the breakfast casserole without the traditional ingredients, but to my surprise, he loved it. Even my son, who is a picky eater, liked it!.
If you are looking for an easy breakfast casserole to feed your family or a crowd of people, give this one a try. I am sure everyone will love it and will want you to share the recipe with them.
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Why I love this recipe
- The casserole is creamy and delicious.
- It is easy to double the recipe for a large group of people.
- The recipe calls for a minimum number of ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Since the casserole does not contain meat, you don't have to make a different dish for vegetarians in your family. They will love it too!
- You can make the casserole in one bowl.
- The dish comes together in less than 10 minutes!
- Leftovers heat beautifully in the microwave,
Easy Grocery List of Ingredients
These simple-no fuss- ingredients are straightforward and found in your local grocery store.
- Eggs-Use large eggs for this casserole. If your eggs are different in size, use the following guide:
- 5 extra-large or jumbo eggs = 6 large eggs
- 7 medium eggs = 6 large eggs
- 8 small eggs = 6 large eggs
- Small curd cottage cheese-fat-free, low-fat, or full-fat cottage cheese work equally well. Not a lover of cottage cheese? Don't worry. It may seem like an odd ingredient, but it contributes to the casserole's silky smooth texture. The cottage cheese melts in with the other ingredients, so you don't even know it is there.
- Monterrey Jack cheese-love the flavor the cheese adds to egg casserole. Be sure to grate your cheese. Don't use pre-grated cheese because it has stabilizers in it that prevent it from melting in this dish.
- Diced mild green chiles-for additional spice, substituted hot green chiles.
- All-purpose flour adds structure to the dish.
- Unsalted butter-if you use salted butter, don't add additional salt.
- Baking powder helps make the dish light and airy.
- Kosher salt adds flavor. If you use table salt, use half the amount of salt called for in the recipe.
Let's make the egg casserole
Below are the steps to make this dish.
- Step 1-Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool.
- Step 2-Breakup the cottage cheese curd with a mixer.
- Step 3-Add the rest of the ingredients to the cottage cheese mixture.
- Step 4-Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined.
- Step 5-Place in a greased casserole dish.
- Step 6-Bake egg and cheese casserole until lightly browned and when a toothpick is inserted comes out clean.
Allow the dish to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
This dish is perfect for a casual weekend brunch or special occasions such as Mother's Day, Easter, and Christmas morning.
You can also serve the casserole for a light lunch or dinner.
What to serve with the casserole
Pair the casserole with freshly baked breakfast bread such as scones, muffins, or biscuits. Add a fresh fruit salad and great coffee and you have everything you need for the perfect brunch.
To satisfy the meat lovers in your family, offer crisp oven baked bacon or turkey breakfast sausage patties on the side.
For a special touch, mix up bubbly prosecco mimosas (use sparkling apple cider for virgin mimosas), and you have a tasty meal that will take your brunch to the next level.
For a simple lunch or dinner, serve a slice of the casserole with a salad of mixed baby greens tossed with this Easy Vinaigrette.
How to customize the casserole
What's great about this casserole is that you can customize it in so many ways to meet your families' preferences.
- For a spicier version, substitute Pepper Jack Cheese for the Monterrey Jack Cheese.
- Mild or Sharp Cheddar would be an excellent replacement for the Monterrey Jack Cheese.
- If your family or guests enjoy meat, add cooked breakfast sausage.
- For a dish with Italian flair, substitute Monterrey Jack cheese with Fontina and add cooked crumbled Italian sausage.
- My personal favorite is to add diced ham and replace the Monterrey Jack Cheese with Gruyere cheese.
- There are so many options!
Don't miss these tips
Use the toothpick test to determine doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of the casserole. Pull it out. The toothpick needs to be clean. If there is egg on it, continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
If you make the casserole the day before, combine all the ingredients and put them in the prepared casserole pan. Cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator. The following day bake the casserole. Put the casserole dish in the oven as it heats to prevent it from breaking.
Don't use pre-grated cheese because it has stabilizers in it that prevent it from melting in this dish.
Common questions about this recipe
You can make the casserole the day before, cover it and place it in the refrigerator. The following day, bake it according to the instructions. Because the casserole dish is cold, it might take 5-10 minutes longer to cook.
Yes, I would recommend using an equal amount of King Arthur Gluten Free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
The cottage cheese does not need to be drained.
No, cottage cheese with any amount of milk fat can be used in the recipe.
You can use cottage cheese with larger curds, however, I recommended getting cottage cheese with the smallest curds so that they will melt better during baking.
The cottage cheese helps give the casserole a smooth and light texture. If the cottage cheese is not included, the casserole will not be the same. I highly recommend including it in the recipe.
No, pre-shredded cheese has stabilizers in it that prevent it from melting in this dish.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. .
Freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat leftover egg casserole in the microwave or oven until it reaches 165°F.
I hope you try this recipe! Please rate it and comment below. I love hearing from you! ❤️
Print📋 Recipe
Easy Egg and Cheese Casserole for Breakfast
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy egg and cheese casserole is perfect for a special occasion or weekend brunch. Make it in one bowl in under 10 minutes. Serve the dish with fruit salad, freshly baked breakfast bread, and great coffee and you have a scrumptious brunch that everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup (½ pint) small curd cottage cheese
- 6 large eggs
- 8-ounces Monterrey Jack Cheese (Not pre-shredded. See note below).
- 1 4-ounce can dice mild chiles
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch casserole pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place the cottage cheese in a stand or hand mixer with either the whisk or paddle attachment, and beat on high for about 3 minutes to break up the curds.
- Add the eggs and beat until well combined.
- Add slightly cooled melted butter, Monterrey Jack cheese, diced green chiles, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until the center is firm and when a toothpick is inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool 5 minutes before cutting it into squares. Serve plain or topped with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or cilantro.
Notes
Don't use pre-grated cheese because it has stabilizers in it that prevent the cheese from melting in this dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 529.5 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 229.2 mg
Keywords: #brunch, #breakfast casserole, #breakfast
Lisa
Perfect for brunch or a light lunch.
★★★★★
Abbie
What do I do with the butter after it's melted and cooled slightly?
★
Gitta
The butter is added with the Monterrey Jack cheese, green chiles, flour, baking powder, and salt. Thanks for pointing this error out to me! I appreciate it. The recipe has been updated.