This Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Casserole was inspired by a recipe I found over on Kalyn’s Kitchen. I know you guys know who Kalyn is by now, she writes a delicious food blog packed with South Beach Friendly recipes. And the great thing about Kalyn’s blog is that you don’t have to be on the South Beach Diet to enjoy all of her nutritious recipes!
Now in case you haven’t noticed by now, I am a huge egg fan. I love quiches, casseroles, friattas, scrambles, you name it – eggs are just so versatile. You can mix them with just about anything and enjoy them just about anytime of the day. They are good hot, cold, and room temperature, so really… what’s not to love??
Often times when I am making an egg based dish I mix the whole eggs with some egg whites. It makes the finished dish a bit lighter and does not sacrifice the flavor at all. In my opinion, it’s a win-win.
And the fact that Katie loves my egg concoctions actually makes this dish a win-win-win!
I never realized how much effort it would take to feed a little one nutritious foods. There really is a bit of diligence involved. Sometimes it just seems like it would be so much easier to feed Katie ice cream sandwiches for dinner (she never says no to those!).
I find that eggs, whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, and smoothies are my “Katie default foods”. If she is not interested in the main meal, these are all quick and nutritious options that I turn to in order to ensure that she doesn’t end up eating a box of cheerios for dinner!
But I digress.
This casserole is very similar to frittata except that it is made in a glass pyrex dish and there is no stove top cooking involved. You just pop all of the ingredients into the pan and pop it in the oven.
I will definitely turn to this type of casserole the next time I am having people over for breakfast or brunch. It is the perfect dish to entertain with!
Have you guys ever made an egg casserole before? What are your favorite fillings?
Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 12 eggs
- 12 egg whites (or 1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup 2% milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup of grated part skim mozzarella
- ¾ cup of grated low fat sharp cheddar
Directions:
Preheat over to 375. Spray a glass 10x14 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cut broccoli into small florets and steam for two minutes or until just tender. Toss broccoli with garlic powder, salt and curry powder. Set aside.
Combine eggs, egg whites, milk, and black pepper in a large bowl and beat with a fork or a whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Layer seasoned broccoli on the bottom of the casserole dish and evenly sprinkle the cheese over the broccoli. Pour the eggs over the broccoli and cheese and use a fork to make sure that the broccoli is evenly distributed through out the eggs.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the eggs are cooked through. Enjoy!
Serves 8.
Nutrients per 1/8th of recipe: Calories: 217g; Total Fat: 10.9g; Saturated Fat: 4.6g; Cholesterol: 286mg; Sodium: 329mg; Carbohydrate: 4.5g; Dietary Fiber: 2.1; Sugars: 1.8g; Protein: 21.8g
Hey, thanks for the shout out! I’m always hoping my recipes appeal to people who aren’t South Beach dieters, so it’s good to hear that you think so. I love this combination; one of my favorites!
24 EGGS??????
Kalyn – Thank YOU! I’m always finding lots of inspiration on your blog!
Dad – Well technically it’s 18 eggs. 12 whole eggs and 12 egg whites. Why, do you ask… are you thinking about trying this one?
Can I cut the recipe in half to feed 4 if I use a smaller pan?
Lori – Absolutely – But I gotta tell ya, the leftovers are great!
For Breakfast I also use egg whites (one egg and 1/2 cup egg whites). My family has an egg casserole we make every Christmas. You make it the night before and Christmas morning pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.
It’s in the oven.
Dynamics – Mmmmm…. this sort of thing would be perfect for Christmas morning! Great tip!
Dad – Cool! Did you use half whites or all eggs? Can’t wait to hear the family feedback;)
thanks for the recipe it looks delicious! I’ve been watching your videos too, and there are so many things i want to try!
I’ll have to track down a shop that sells the egg whites, it would be much more easy to use than having to seperate them all the time
I never thought of using curry in my egg casseroles – I LOVE the idea.
P.S. your Dad is so cute! I LOVE that he cooks your recipes 🙂
Thanks for sharing this! I was browsing the web and found your blog and this recipe helped give me the inspiration I needed to use what I had in my fridge tonight without going to the store! It’s in the oven now! I didn’t have broccoli, but instead I used: 1 lb. ground beef, browned with onion, garlic, 1 chopped zucchini, cumin, coriander, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. Placed that mixture into the baking dish, topped with green onions, cheese, and finally the egg mixture (I used whole milk yogurt instead of milk). I’ll serve it with sour cream, salsa, avocado slices, and maybe a couple tortillas if my husband and son want to make “burritos” with it. Sounds great in theory, we’ll see in a little bit!
Looks delish! I wonder if grated zucchini would be good in this, or if it would make it too “wet”?
Can you use all egg whites?
Yes. You definitely can.