This green chile egg casserole takes just 15 minutes to prep, then the oven does the rest of the work for you. Instead of loading up the eggs with shredded cheese, we’re swapping in cottage cheese for a lower-fat, high-protein breakfast that’s great for meal prep or hungry holiday guests.
This Egg Casserole Is as Filling as It Is Delicious
There’s something deeply satisfying about a breakfast that practically makes itself. This green chile egg casserole is what I turn to when I’m feeding a crowd, meal prepping for the week, or simply want breakfast ready and waiting.
It’s packed with protein from the eggs and cottage cheese, while just 1 cup of Monterey Jack adds plenty of cheesy flavor without weighing the casserole down. Canned diced green chiles provide a mild kick, and bell pepper and onion round everything out with a little color and sweetness.
Best of all, there’s no complicated prep! Everything gets mixed together in one bowl before being poured into a buttered baking dish.
My favorite trick is starting the casserole at a higher temperature before lowering the heat partway through baking. The result is a casserole that bakes up light, fluffy, and perfectly tender every time.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Eggs — There’s nearly a dozen eggs in this casserole, but for two of them you’re going to use just the whites. Those extra egg whites make for a slightly fluffier casserole that’s not too dense or heavy.
- Canned green chiles — Depending on how spicy you’d like your casserole, you can opt for hot or mild.
- Cottage cheese — Really amps up the protein without making the eggs taste greasy or fatty, plus it lets us keep the casserole vegetarian.
- Shredded cheese — I used Monterrey Jack, but Pepper Jack, cheddar, or another favorite cheese may be used.
- Onion + bell pepper — Add Tex-Mex flavor and texture.
- Flour + baking powder — Since the cottage cheese is mainly for protein and creaminess and less for binding purposes, we need to add a little flour to make the casserole sliceable. The baking powder adds some lift and prevents the eggs from going rubbery.
- Butter — There’s ¼ cup of butter in this recipe, which may sound like a lot but you need that much to grease the pan properly and prevent the egg mixture from sticking.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Swap the flour for a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour to keep this recipe gluten-free
- Add cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon to increase the protein
- Replace some of the cottage cheese with softened brick-style cream cheese for added richness
- Use different vegetables, including roasted veggies from last night’s dinner, cooked sweet potato or butternut squash cubes, etc.
How to Make This Green Chile Egg Casserole
- Butter the baking dish. To simplify things, I added the cold butter to my 9×13-inch baking dish and popped it into the oven as it preheated to 400ºF. Once the butter is melted, you can swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk everything together. The trick to getting the casserole nice and fluffy is to beat the eggs and egg whites until they’re really nice and foamy. Once that’s done, mix in all of the remaining ingredients.
- Bake for 20 minutes… Pour the egg mixture into the buttered baking dish and start the casserole at 400ºF to activate the baking powder and give the filling time to rise up and expand.
- …then reduce the temperature. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350ºF (leave the pan in the oven!) and bake for another 40 or so minutes. Finishing egg casseroles on a lower temperature like this keeps the filling fluffy and tender without drying it out.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Green Chile Egg Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 10 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 8-ounce cans diced green chiles , drained
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 4 cups cottage cheese (1 quart)
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place ¼ cup butter in a 9 X 13-inch baking dish and melt in the preheated oven.
- Mix the eggs, chillies, and cheeses. In a large bowl, whisk 10 eggs with 2 egg whites until combined and fluffy. Whisk in ½ cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder until smooth. Add 2 8-ounce cans diced green chiles, ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion, ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper, 4 cups cottage cheese, and 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Season with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and mix well to combine.
- Bake the eggs until set. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With This Cheesy Egg Casserole
- Mixed Berry Fruit Salad
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
- Moist Banana Muffins
- Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
- Yogurt + Homemade Granola
- Sparkling Mimosas
- Blended Iced Mocha
More High-Protein Breakfasts That Feed a Crowd
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Quiche Lorraine
- Mediterranean Egg Bites
- Asparagus Goat Cheese Frittata
- Crustless Quiche
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