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This Cottage Cheese Egg Bake has over 20 grams of protein per slice with eggs, turkey sausage, cheddar, peppers, and onions. The cottage cheese is blended right into the eggs, so the finished bake is soft and fluffy. It reheats well for an easy make-ahead breakfast.
Blending the Cottage Cheese Makes the Difference
Blending cottage cheese right into the eggs is what gives this egg bake its soft, fluffy texture. Instead of stirring it in separately, I blend the eggs, cottage cheese, and cheddar until smooth before folding in the cooked sausage and vegetables. This distributes the cottage cheese throughout the egg mixture and gives the whole bake a more even texture.
A few other things make this one especially good for breakfast prep:
- Over 20 grams of protein per slice. Eggs, cottage cheese, turkey sausage, and cheddar all contribute protein, so each serving makes a substantial breakfast without needing protein powder or egg whites.
- Plenty of flavor and texture. Turkey sausage, sharp cheddar, peppers, and onions make this feel like a complete breakfast casserole rather than a basic baked egg dish.
Ingredient Notes
A few ingredients make a noticeable difference in the flavor and texture of this cottage cheese egg bake:
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Cottage cheese: I prefer full-fat cottage cheese because it gives the egg bake the softest, richest texture, but 2% also works well. The cottage cheese gets blended with the eggs and cheddar before baking, which helps distribute it evenly throughout the casserole.
- Turkey breakfast sausage: I use turkey sausage to add plenty of savory breakfast flavor while keeping the casserole high in protein. Cook it completely before adding it to the egg mixture, and drain off any excess liquid or grease so it doesn’t make the egg bake watery. Chicken or pork breakfast sausage also works.
- Bell peppers and onion: Saute these before adding them to the egg mixture rather than putting them in raw. This softens the vegetables and gives some of their excess moisture a chance to cook off before baking.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar gives the casserole more noticeable cheese flavor without needing a large amount. I prefer shredding it from a block because it melts more smoothly, but pre-shredded cheese can be used if that’s what you have.
How to Make this Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
- Cook the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook until browned and completely cooked through, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Transfer it to a plate and set aside.
- Saute the vegetables. In the same skillet, add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and most of the excess moisture has cooked off. Remove from the heat.
- Blend the egg mixture. While the sausage and vegetables cool slightly, add the eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined. A regular blender works too.
- Combine. Fold the cooked sausage and vegetables into the blended egg mixture until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer looks wet. If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil for the final 10 minutes.
- Rest before slicing. Let the egg bake rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into slices. This gives the eggs time to finish setting and makes the casserole easier to cut.
jamie’s tips
My Tips for Fluffy Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
- Cook off excess moisture from the vegetables. Peppers and onions release liquid as they cook, so saute them until they’re softened and most of that moisture has cooked away. Too much liquid going into the casserole can leave the finished egg bake watery.
- Don’t overbake it. Start checking the casserole at the 40-minute mark. The center should be set and no longer look wet, but there’s no need to keep baking until the eggs feel completely firm. Overbaking can make an egg casserole dry and rubbery.
- Let it rest before slicing. Give the egg bake at least 10 minutes to sit after it comes out of the oven. The eggs will continue to set as it cools, which gives you a better texture and cleaner slices.
- Stick with a 9×13-inch pan. The depth of the egg mixture affects how quickly it cooks. I use a 9×13-inch baking dish to ensure the best results.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: Cook the sausage and vegetables ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the egg bake.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cottage cheese egg bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat individual slices in the microwave until warmed through. Avoid overheating, since eggs can become rubbery when reheated for too long.
More Cottage Cheese Breakfast Recipes
If you’ve made and love this Cottage Cheese Egg Bake or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 rating and comments below!
Cottage Cheese Egg Bake (High Protein)
This Cottage Cheese Egg Bake is made with eggs, cottage cheese, turkey sausage, cheddar, peppers, and onions for a hearty make-ahead breakfast with over 20 grams of protein per serving. Blending the cottage cheese into the eggs keeps the finished bake soft and fluffy.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 12-16 oz turkey breakfast sausage, ground or removed from casing (or use chopped pre-cooked/frozen)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 16 oz cottage cheese
- 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced small
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add turkey sausage and cook until completely cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to another dish.
- In the same skillet, add onion, garlic and bell peppers. Sauté on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until veggies are softened. Remove from heat.
- While the sausage and veggie mixture is cooling, make your egg and cottage cheese mixture by combining eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Blend using an immersion blender (or use a regular blender instead!).
- Add cooked turkey sausage and veggies to the blended egg and cottage cheese mixture, stirring until fully combined.
- Pour into to a large nonstick or lightly sprayed with oil 9×13" casserole dish (or a little larger will work too).
- Bake for ~40-50 minutes, until egg and cottage cheese bake is firm in the middle. If the top is browning too much, cover with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and then cut into 9-12 slices.
Notes
- Cottage cheese: Full-fat cottage cheese gives the softest, richest texture, but 2% works well too. Blend it thoroughly with the eggs and cheddar until smooth.
- Don’t overbake: Start checking the egg bake at 40 minutes. The center should be set and no longer look wet. Overbaking can make the eggs dry or rubbery.
- Expect some settling: The egg bake may puff up a little while it’s in the oven and settle slightly as it cools.
- Let it rest: Allow the egg bake to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing so the center can finish setting and the slices hold together better.
- Pan size matters: This recipe was tested in a 9×13-inch baking dish. A larger pan will make a thinner egg bake and may shorten the baking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 277mg | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + star rating below!
Such an easy recipe to make, and very delicious!
I loved this recipe but when I took it out of the oven and let it cool a bit, it seemed to shrink so that it was only about 1/2 inch thick. Is there a trick you know to avoid that shrinkage?
I’m not sure what could’ve happened here for it to shrink down to 1/2″ thickness! Are you sure you followed the recipe as written? It fills up a baking dish generously and is several inches thick when it’s baked.
Loved it
Thanks Shannon!
My kids and I LOVED this! I like how stiff it was when I cut it and didn’t fall apart–I didn’t have a 9 inch round baking dish so I used an 8×8 and it came out just fine 🙂 I was gonna look up if I needed to tweak the cook time due to using another dish but I forgot and just followed the recommendations and no issues! I also had some chopped onions to use up so I threw those in there too. We’ve enjoyed the sheet pan eggs and egg bite numerous times so it was fun to try another version of a delicious cottage cheese egg dish–thank you for another phenomenal, high protein, meal prep breakfast dish!! XO
Thanks Jessie!! 🙂