This Bacon and Egg Casserole is one of my favorite brunch dishes ever! Made from bacon, veggies, and of course eggs and cheese, this easy breakfast idea is filled with protein and flavor!
Looking for more breakfast casserole recipes? Try this Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole!
Easy Bacon and Cheese Egg Casserole
I make some kind of egg bake or quiche about once a week or every other week, and I just don't get tired of them. How could you?! They are really easy meatless (or nearly meat-free) dinner, breakfast, or brunch options that the whole family loves. I love that I always have eggs on hand (thank you, backyard chickens), that I can sneak vegetables in to a meal, and that it reheats really well. I'll often make a double-batch and eat the second half for quick breakfasts the rest of the week.
Few things are simpler than this egg bake, but it's still very filling, full of flavor, and hearty. It's great for any meal of the day, really (and I've eaten it every meal of the day sometimes!). I love using yellow squash in this recipe because once it is all cooked it looks, tastes, and has a texture similar to potatoes. My kids just assume the dish has potatoes in it, and I don't tell them any different. This is cooking-for-kids level strategic -- if you know, you know. Cooking the veggies a little before baking helps to release the extra moisture and makes them so really tasty.
How to Make an Egg Bake:
- Grate squash and onion with your cheese grater.
- Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the bacon until tender crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Add squash and onion to the pan, and cook over medium-high heat.
- Mix eggs, milk, and salt and pepper in bowl, and beat with a fork to combine well.
- Place the cooked vegetables in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, add spinach and cheese, crumble bacon over top the cheese, and pour the egg mixture over everything in the dish.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let the dish cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving hot.
What can I serve with a breakfast casserole?
If I plan ahead and have the time, I might make our favorite biscuits, healthy banana muffins, or some breakfast cookies to go with it. If I'm short on time, then I might just serve the egg bake with a simple fruit salad or a healthy smoothie. Both options are great.
What is the best way to incorporate spinach into an egg bake?
I like to chop the spinach because I just want little pieces to eat, not a whole leaf. If you like the spinach more wilted, you can cook it with the other vegetables, but this makes it too mushy for my taste.
Can I Freeze An Egg Bake?
This freezes great and reheats very well. I like to a batch to keep in the fridge for easy breakfasts. If I'm going to freeze this, I'll just cut it into squares and put them in a single layer in a freezer bag or container. It will freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
More egg recipes:
- Easy Healthy Make Ahead Zucchini Egg Bake
- Farmhouse Egg Bake
- Easy Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches for a Crowd
- Cheesy Bacon and Roasted Potato Egg Casserole
- Easy Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pie
- Crustless Spinach Quiche
- Baked Denver Omelet
- Lightened Up Spinach Bacon Quiche
Easy Bacon Egg and Cheese Bake
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
Description
This Bacon and Cheese Egg Bake recipe is one of my favorite brunch dishes ever! Made from bacon, veggies, and of course eggs and cheese, this easy breakfast idea is filled with protein and flavor!
Ingredients
- ½ an onion
- ½ pound of squash
- 4 slices of bacon
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup grated cheese, about 4 ounces (I used sharp cheddar)
- 4 ounces of spinach
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Grate the squash and onion with your cheese grater (or dice them nice and small).
- Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until tender crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and lay it on paper towels to help absorb extra grease. Pour out the extra bacon grease from pan and return the pan to the stove (it will still have a layer of grease on the bottom since you haven't cleaned it).
- Add the grated squash and onion to the pan, and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and any cooking liquid that they have released has cooked off.
- While the veggies are cooking, break your eggs into a bowl, add the milk and salt and pepper, and beat with a fork to combine well.
- Place the cooked vegetables in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the spinach. Add the cheese. Crumble the cooked bacon over the top of the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over everything in the dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center of the dish is set and no longer jiggles. Let the dish cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
- I like to chop the spinach because I just want little pieces to eat, not a whole leaf. If you like the spinach more wilted, you can cook it with the other vegetables, but this makes it too mushy for my taste.
- You can bake this in different sized dishes, including a round pie plate. This recipe also doubles well in a 9x13-inch dish. You will have to adjust the baking times depending on the dish you use. You know when it's done when the center is set. I just shake the pan gently in the oven, and if the middle moves, then I cook it another few minutes before repeating the shake test.
- I love to grate the squash. When it is grated and cooked before adding it to the eggs, it looks, feels, and tastes a lot like a hash-browns-style potato! The Costco bag had yellow and green zucchini in it, and I choose to use the yellow squash in this dish because it really will get mistaken for potatoes (which go over better with my kids than squash). If I only have zucchini, then I'll peel the outside to hide the green from them. Yep, this is cooking-for-kids-level strategic.
- If bacon isn't your thing, skip it and sauté the vegetables in olive oil. You can also sub the bacon for 4 ounces of cooked sausage or some cubed ham, which are all delicious.
- This freezes great and reheats very well. I like to prep a batch to keep in the fridge for easy breakfasts. If I'm going to freeze this, I'll just cut it into squares and put them in a single layer in a freezer bag or container.
- Serve with a side of fruit, a smoothie, or even some muffins.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brunch recipe, easy brunch recipes, how to make an egg bake, breakfast casserole, easy breakfast ideas, high protein breakfast
Bacon and Cheese Egg Bake is one of my favorite dishes any time of day. We’ve eaten this for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. It can feed a crowd, fill bellies, and it tastes delicious.
Sandra
So yummy! I added a few extra pieces of bacon....because "why not"?!?!? I did cook down my spinach for a less leafy bite, as suggested, and it worked well. I think next time I am going to add a small can of mushrooms. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sherry Hyatte
I LOVE recipes that are basically a blueprint and can be customized to fit individual tastes. I make this almost every week and it is never the same dish twice. we cal it clean out the frig eggs and it always comes out delicious.
★★★★★
Melissa
100% yes! I do the same thing about once a week and we never get sick of it! I have a zucchini + ham version in my fridge right now for easy breakfast. So glad you liked it!
deb c
Disguising veggies..... oh bah ha ha! Thanks for the yellow squash idea... hadn't thought of that one! Basil leaves hide spinach really well too!