Egg Casserole
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When you’re feeding a table full of people first thing in the morning, the last thing you want is to be standing at the stove making eggs to order while everyone waits. This Egg Casserole solves that. It’s a hearty vegetarian egg bake you can put together the night before, so the only job left on the day is sliding it into the oven.
The base is eggs whisked with sour cream and cheddar, poured over sautéed peppers, broccoli, and onions. It bakes into something you can slice and serve, and it holds its own on a holiday table or a quiet weekend just the same.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning, which takes the pressure off when you’ve got people to feed and a dozen other things going on.
- The sour cream in the egg base keeps the set soft rather than rubbery, so the middle stays tender instead of drying out the way plain baked eggs can.
- Sauteing the vegetables first means they don’t weep water into the eggs, so the finished bake slices cleanly instead of going soggy in the center.
- It works for a crowd or for meal prep. Slice what you need and keep the rest for the week’s breakfasts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
Eggs. Eight of them, and they do the structural work here. Let them sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before you start, because cold eggs straight from the fridge don’t blend as smoothly into the base.
Sour cream. A full cup. This is what keeps the set soft and creamy rather than firm and dry. It’s not a substitution I’d skip, since it changes the texture of the whole bake.
Cheddar cheese. Two cups, divided. One and a half cups goes into the egg base and the remaining half cup goes over the top for the golden layer. Regular or sharp both work, depending on how much bite you want.
Broccoli, bell peppers, and onions. One cup of broccoli florets, half a green pepper, half a red pepper, four green onions, and half a cup of red onion. The peppers and onions go in first because they need longer to soften, and the broccoli goes in at the end so it stays tender rather than turning to mush.
Milk. A quarter cup, to loosen the base so it pours evenly over the vegetables.
How to Make Egg Casserole
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Prep the Oven and Dish
Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C and grease your baking dish so nothing sticks and the vegetables have a clean base to sit on. A ceramic dish holds heat evenly and releases the slices cleanly when you serve.
Mix the Egg Base
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sour cream, milk, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Season the base a little more heavily than feels right. Eggs take more salt than you’d think, and this is your only chance to get it into the mixture before it sets.
Saute the Vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions, both bell peppers, and the red onion, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they soften. Add the broccoli florets and cook a couple of minutes more, just until tender. Softening them now matters, because raw vegetables would release their water into the eggs as they bake.
Assemble and Bake
Spread the sautéed vegetables in an even layer across the dish, then pour the egg mixture over them. Scatter the remaining half cup of cheddar on top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Start checking at the 35-minute mark so you don’t overbake.
It’s ready when the top is golden, the center is set, and no longer jiggles, and a knife slid into the middle comes out clean with no wet egg clinging to it. The same soft-set base is what anchors an easy egg and potato breakfast casserole, where hash browns go in underneath instead of a mere bed of vegetables.
Rest and Serve
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes out of the oven before you slice it. That short pause firms up the set so the slices hold together on the plate rather than falling apart.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Judge doneness by the center, not the clock. Every oven runs a little differently. The bake is done when the middle no longer jiggles when you shake the dish gently, usually right around the 35 to 40 minute mark.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature. Pull them out 15 to 20 minutes ahead. Cold eggs seize slightly when whisked and don’t fold into the base as smoothly.
- Season the base generously. The egg mixture needs a real pinch of salt and pepper worked in while you whisk, and the raw base is the only point where it goes in. Once it’s baked, it’s set, so add a little more than you think you need.
- Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables. Raw peppers and broccoli release their water as they bake, and that water thins the eggs into something loose and wet. A few minutes in the skillet first is the difference between a clean slice and a puddle.
- Spread the vegetables evenly. If they pile up at one end, that’s the end that gets all the broccoli and peppers while the other slices come out plain.
Recipe Variations
- Swap in pepper jack. Using pepper jack in place of some of the cheddar gives the bake a mild heat that plays well against the sweet peppers. I haven’t tested that swap here, but it doesn’t change the timing or the set, so it’s a safe one to try.
- Add garlic for a savory base. I’ve made it with a clove or two of minced garlic stirred in after the onions soften, and it deepens the flavor of the whole dish without changing anything else.
- Stir in spinach. I’ve also added a handful of fresh spinach, or some frozen chopped spinach, in the last minute of sautéing, and it wilts down and folds right through the vegetables.
How to Store Leftovers
Get the casserole into the fridge within two hours of it coming out of the oven, rather than leaving it to cool all the way down on the counter. Once it’s cooled a little, cover the dish tightly or move slices to an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat, warm a slice in the oven or microwave until it’s steaming hot all the way through, which for egg dishes means bringing it back up to 165°F before you serve it.
Freezing works too. Wrap individual slices and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before you reheat. Prepping ahead runs on a different clock than leftovers, so keep the two apart.
To get ahead, you can assemble the dish the night before, keep it covered in the fridge unbaked, and bake it fresh in the morning, adding a few minutes since it’s going in cold.
What to Serve With Egg Casserole
I like putting this out with something fresh and bright to cut the richness, and a bowl of honey-lime fruit salad does exactly that on a brunch table. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette works the same way if you’d rather stay savory.
For a bigger holiday spread, roasted potatoes or sauteed mushrooms on the side make it more of a meal. Toasted sourdough or a warm crusty bread is worth having on the table too, for mopping up any cheesy bits left on the plate. A pitcher of orange juice and a pot of coffee round it out.
More Make-Ahead Casseroles Worth Baking
If this one earns a spot in your rotation, here are a few more vegetarian bakes I make when I’m feeding a crowd.
- I make spinach casserole when I want something rich and cheesy for a holiday table, with crispy onions on top for crunch.
- Broccoli casserole stays tender instead of watery because the broccoli gets steamed, not boiled, then baked under sharp cheddar and a crushed cracker top.
- Hashbrown casserole is the one I turn to when I need a creamy potato side that feeds a big group without any fuss.
- Potato casserole is another cheesy potato bake, built on tender potatoes and cream of mushroom, that rounds out a brunch or dinner spread nicely.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 green onions sliced
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
Video
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a baking dish with cooking oil.
- Combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, 1½ cups of cheese, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.8 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup milk, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper
- Heat a large skillet to medium and add the olive oil. Add the green onions, peppers and red onion and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and cook for a couple more minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 4 green onions, ½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper, ½ cup red onion, 1 cup broccoli florets
- Place the vegetables in an even layer in the baking dish and then pour the egg mixture over them. Scatter the remaining cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Bring the eggs to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, so they whisk into a smoother base.
- Season the raw egg base generously with salt and pepper as you whisk; it’s the only point where the seasoning goes in.
- Saute the vegetables first, so they don’t release water into the eggs and loosen the bake.
- Spread the vegetables in an even layer so every slice gets peppers, broccoli, and onion.
- Judge doneness by the center: it’s done when the middle no longer jiggles, around 35 to 40 minutes.
Nutrition
This not vegan…. there’s no milk, cream or cheese in a vegan diet.
You’re right, it isn’t vegan, it’s a vegetarian casserole, vegans wouldn’t eat eggs either. It looks like you’ve mistaken this recipe for a vegan casserole, sorry for any confusion.
can I make this in my crockpot and if I can any new instructions?