For those who want a high-protein breakfast thought with none meat, this vegetarian breakfast casserole is for you. It has the whole lot you want for breakfast in a single, handy slice, with loads of protein, fiber, and veggies!
Impressed by my cottage cheese egg casserole, this recipe additionally has some sneaky cottage cheese inside. I’ve blended it so there aren’t any curds seen, however this addition creates a creamy texture and critically boosts the general protein content material.
Whereas it does take about 20 minutes to assemble, and extra time to bake, as soon as it’s executed, you’ll have breakfast able to go for the remainder of the week. You’ll get 29 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per slice, all for below 400 energy.
Wholesome Breakfast Casserole Elements
- Eggs. I exploit a dozen eggs to make a 9×13 casserole. For those who’re quick one or two, I feel this might nonetheless end up okay, however the casserole shall be flatter and never fairly as filling.
- Cottage Cheese. This helps bulk up the casserole with no need much more eggs. I mix the cottage cheese into the eggs to provide them a velvety texture. However I think about you may skip mixing it should you don’t thoughts the cottage cheese texture in an egg bake.
- Black Beans. I exploit two cans of beans on this dish to spice up the fiber and protein. One merely wasn’t sufficient! When you have a unique bean selection available, be happy to make use of any sort you want.
- Veggies. This recipe makes use of shallot (or pink onion), bell peppers, and a whole 5-ounce bag of spinach. Once you prepare dinner them down first, they match completely within the casserole dish, so that you’d by no means guess what number of veggies you’re really consuming.
- Spices. Since we went with black beans, I figured cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano could be a great match flavor-wise. (And I used to be proper!) The veggies add loads of taste on their very own, however don’t skip the salt or your egg casserole shall be bland.
Making a Excessive-Protein Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and calmly grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. I’ll be trustworthy —I’ve misplaced my glass baking dish this measurement, so I used my stainless-steel pan for this, which I often reserve for baking brownies. (Steel pans are a MUST for brownies!) The steel pan labored nice right here, however a glass or ceramic pan may require 5 extra minutes of baking, FYI.
In a big skillet over medium-high warmth, add a drizzle of olive oil and prepare dinner 1 chopped shallot and 1 chopped bell pepper. I like to make use of a shallot as a result of the onion taste is just a little milder, and it’s smaller. After I examined this with a full yellow onion, I assumed it bought just a little too candy. However you need to use half of an onion as a substitute.
Prepare dinner till the veggies begin to soften, about 5 to eight minutes. Then roughly chop a 5-ounce bag of child spinach and add that to the pan. Stir till it wilts for about 2 extra minutes.
Step 2:
Add two 15-ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed) together with 1 teaspoon of floor cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of floor black pepper.
Stir briefly till the beans are heat and the spices odor aromatic, about 2 extra minutes. Then switch the veggies and beans to the underside of the ready pan. Unfold it out evenly.
Step 3:
Crack 12 giant eggs right into a blender and add 1.5 cups of cottage cheese. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then safe the lid and mix till clean. Pour the combination over the beans and veggies within the pan, then jiggle it gently to ensure the whole lot is evenly distributed.
Bake at 375ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or till the highest begins to puff up, turns calmly golden, and the middle not jiggles if you give the pan a delicate shake.
Serving and Storage Ideas
Let the casserole cool for 15 to twenty minutes earlier than slicing into it. I like to chop 6 giant slices as a part of my meal prep routine, however you may also reduce this into smaller slices for a brunch.
You might discover that the black beans prefer to sink to the underside of this casserole. I haven’t found out a method to forestall that but, however they nonetheless make their method into every chew, so I don’t thoughts. Hopefully you don’t both!
Storage Tip: This casserole could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. I like to recommend inserting items of parchment paper between the slices if it is advisable stack them, as they have a tendency to stay collectively barely in my expertise. (It’s not a giant deal; I often nonetheless don’t use the parchment paper, however it might make separating them simpler.)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot , diced
- 1 pink bell pepper , seeds eliminated and chopped
- 5 ounces child spinach , roughly chopped
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- 12 giant eggs
- 1.5 cups cottage cheese
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Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a big skillet over medium-high warmth, add a drizzle of olive oil and begin cooking the shallot and bell pepper. Stir till the veggies soften, about 5 minutes.
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Subsequent, add the chopped spinach and stir briefly. It’ll seem like a LOT of spinach at first, however it is going to wilt considerably because it cooks. As soon as it has shrunk down, add the drained black beans and season with the cumin, oregano, chili powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of floor black pepper. Stir simply till the beans are heat and the spices odor aromatic, about 2 minutes.
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Switch the sauteed veggies and beans to the ready baking dish and unfold them out evenly. Then crack the eggs into the blender and add the cottage cheese. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt, then safe the lid and mix till clean. Pour the egg combination over the veggies and beans and gently shake the pan so the whole lot is distributed evenly.
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Bake the egg casserole at 375ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or till the highest is golden and the middle does not jiggle if you give the pan a delicate shake. Glass or ceramic baking pans could require a number of extra minutes. As soon as the middle is agency, take away the pan from the oven and let it cool for not less than quarter-hour. Slice into 6 giant items and luxuriate in heat with some contemporary berries on the aspect.
Protein Word: I additionally examined this recipe with a 14-ounce block of crumbled agency tofu as a substitute of 1 can of black beans, in case you’re curious. This swap provides yet another gram of protein per serving (so 30g protein per serving) however I didn’t love the feel or taste as a lot. Nevertheless, should you’re quick on beans or need to attempt one thing completely different, it does “work.” Since tofu has an egg-like texture already, the feel simply isn’t as various as you may want.
Storage Tip: Leftovers could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You’ll be able to reheat a slice within the air fryer for five minutes at 350ºF or microwave for about 60 seconds for a heat breakfast once more.
Energy: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 29g | Fats: 14g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Ldl cholesterol: 375mg | Sodium: 924mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3488IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 5mg
Extra Excessive-Protein Recipes to Strive
For those who do this veggie breakfast casserole, please go away a remark and star score beneath to let me know what you assume.
