Veggie Breakfast Casserole

Need more veggies in your life? What about protein? Start your day with this healthy veggie breakfast casserole.

Veggie breakfast casserole

Okay, if you've been hanging around my website at all, chances are you've witnessed my love for a good casserole. There's a good reason: it's easy to make and easy to eat.

Easy to make? Well, casseroles are a prep-focused meal, so there aren't a bunch of highly technical cooking maneuvers you have to perform to pull them off. Once you get everything together, it's usually just a matter of waiting for everything to finish in the oven.

Easy to eat? Oh yes: when you're trying to keep track of your intake, it can be difficult to weigh out all the different pieces of your meal to get a full picture. With a casserole, you're getting a full dish in a single piece, and it's easy to get a handle on the nutrition.

Making this veggie breakfast casserole means combining sauteed veggies, hashbrowns, and an egg white mixture into a dish and baking in the oven. Sound like something you might be able to handle? Let's get to the details!

Ingredients for veggie breakfast casserole

Here's a list of everything that comes together to make a delicious veggie breakfast casserole:

• bell peppers
• hashbrowns
• onion
• spinach
• egg whites
• nonfat cottage cheese
• cheddar cheese shredded
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• hot sauce

Not too bad, right? And it's all going into the same pan!

How to make a healthy breakfast casserole

I promised this was easy, right? Let's see what goes into creating this beautiful casserole:

1. Gather & chop ingredients.
2. Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil to skillet.
3. Add veggies. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Add in chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
5. Blend cottage cheese, egg whites, seasonings (& hot sauce, optional) in a blender.
6. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.
7. Pour the hashbrowns in an even layer in the dish. Pour egg white & cottage cheese mixture evenly over the hashbrown layer. Add the veggies into a layer next.
8. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese.
9. Bake at 350 for 40 mins.
10. Let cool and enjoy.

10 steps (including the final all-important "enjoy" step). That's all it takes! You can see why I'm so excited about this.

Veggie breakfast casserole substitutions

Casseroles are a good opportunity to get creative with substitutions. For example, you can use whole eggs (or a combination of yolks and whites), different veggies (hello mushrooms, broccoli, or whatever), or even different equipment (no blender? use a food processor or even a whisk and a bowl).

Obviously, making substitutes in the recipe will change the nutritional and flavor profile of the dish. But that's the fun part! If you have a favorite addition or tweak to this recipe, I'd love to hear about it!

Storage Tips

This veggie breakfast casserole will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can either cover the casserole dish with foil or transfer the sections to tupperware containers.

Alternatively, if you're feeling hungry, you might eat the whole thing in a morning!

How many calories does a breakfast casserole have?

This recipe clocks in at 201 kcal per serving, with 12g carbs, 18g protein, and 8g fat.

What to serve with healthy breakfast casserole

You can supplement this casserole with a bed of greens, a meat of choice, or even a pancake or waffle. And that's just assuming you're having it at breakfast, which, despite the name, is not a requirement!

What typically goes in a casserole?

The casserole is as boundless as it is bountiful. I've seen casserole for every season, every meal (including dessert), and every occasion. Yes, I grew up in the midwest.

When I put together a casserole, I try to think of a convenient way to get a bunch of my favorite ingredients to play nicely with each other. I think this veggie breakfast casserole is a success in that regard.

Why is my breakfast casserole runny?

I try to balance the ingredients so you end up getting a casserole that hits the sweet spot with moisture content. That said, there are a few variables that can affect how your final product turns out. If it's too runny, consider draining off excess liquid after cooking the veggies or cutting back on the cottage cheese.

More high-protein breakfast recipes

Need some more protein-packed breakfast options? I've got you covered:

• Cheesy hashbrown Casserole
• Veggie Egg White Bites
• More high-protein breakfast recipes!