This low carb breakfast casserole is a gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegetarian egg bake without sausage that is fluffy and satisfying! Made with eggs, cheese, cream, and a variety of veggies.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.
I get a lot of requests for low carb vegetarian meals. I’ve never been one to eat low carb, but since there’s been so much demand I wanted to share this favorite breakfast casserole with you, which also happens to be low carb!
If you love tall, fluffy egg bakes, this one is definitely for you! So many breakfast casseroles are made in large pans and give you flat slices. I wanted to make sure you could get lots of veggies in each slice, so I made mine in an 8×8 pan (affiliate link).
This is the perfect recipe to prep ahead for a weekend brunch to serve a crowd, or cook it up on Sunday, pop the slices in the freezer, and enjoy a no-fuss savory breakfast all week long. It’s also pretty easy to make. If you can chop vegetables and crack eggs, you’re in!
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Cheese
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
How to make low carb breakfast casserole
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli to the pan and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the spinach and allow to cook until wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Add the heavy cream, ½ cup of the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, then whisk until incorporated.
- Arrange the cooked vegetables evenly in the bottom of an 8×8 pan coated with cooking spray.
- Top with the egg mixture, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake 30 minutes at 375ºF or until the eggs are puffy and set in the middle.
Top tips and questions
What kind of cheese should I use?
I like a mixture of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese, but you can use any shredded cheese you have on hand (even better if you shred it yourself!) Feel free to experiment with feta, mozzarella, swiss, fontina, etc.
Is this recipe healthy?
Healthy means something different for everyone, but based on the protein from the eggs and loads of veggies, I’d definitely consider this a healthy breakfast casserole.
How many carbs are in a breakfast casserole?
This veggie egg bake has only 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving, and 36 grams of carbs for the entire dish.
How to make this recipe even lower in carbs
This fits into a low carb diet, but if you want to further reduce the carbs in the recipe here are a few ideas:
- Swap the garlic for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Omit the red onion
- Reduce the amount of cheese
Is this a keto breakfast casserole?
I don’t follow a keto diet, but my research tells me that this recipe would be keto friendly. If you need to follow a ketogenic diet, be sure to do your own research and swap any foods that may not fit your needs.
Can I make low carb breakfast casserole ahead of time?
You can prepare this recipe and then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. You could also fully cook it, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze veggie egg casserole?
Yes, this recipe can also be frozen. To freeze before baking, follow the recipe up until baking. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then wrap again in aluminum foil and place in the freezer.
Make sure it sits level so the eggs don’t spill! You can freeze uncooked eggs for up to 4 months.
To cook your frozen casserole, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to cook it, let it sit out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. You can then bake as directed, though you may need to add a few minutes to the cook time if the middle is very cold.
You can also freeze the casserole after baking. Cut into slices and allow it to cool for about an hour. Then transfer slices to a ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight or microwave from frozen until warm. You may get better results from reheating in the oven.
What’s the best hot sauce to go with veggie egg bake?
I love topping my eggs with hot sauce. You’ll do best to find your favorite, but if you need a recommendation I love both the red and green Cholula.
Tips for customizing this low carb breakfast casserole
- Swap the veggies for your other favorites, just keep in mind this may affect the carbohydrate count
- Use leftover cooked veggies from dinner the night before (try these oven roasted vegetables)
- Use soy milk and vegan cheese to make this dairy free
- This could be baked in a 9×13 pan to give you more slices, but you may need to adjust the cooking time
- Meat eaters can add cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon
More vegetarian breakfast recipes
- Five Minute Breakfast Burrito
- Soft Scrambled Eggs
- Scrambled Egg Sandwich
- Scrambled Tofu
- Southwest Veggie Breakfast Skillet
- Huevos Rancheros
- Leftover Mashed Potato Cheesy Vegetarian Hash
- Bran Granola
- Instant Pot Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Vanilla Almond Vegan Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Low Carb Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced bell pepper, I used green bell pepper
- 1 ½ cups chopped broccoli
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 12 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups cheddar jack cheese, or your other favorite shredded cheese, divided
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh minced parsley, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli to the pan and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the spinach and allow to cook until wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Add the heavy cream, ½ cup of the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, then whisk until incorporated.
- Arrange the cooked vegetables evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Top with the egg mixture, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake 30 minutes or until the eggs are puffy and set in the middle. If they still look soupy after 30 minutes, return to the oven and continue to cook until set, checking every couple of minutes. If the edges begin to brown too much you can put some aluminum foil around them to allow the center to cook more.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Tips for customizing this low carb breakfast casserole
- Swap the veggies for your other favorites, just keep in mind this may affect the carbohydrate count
- Use leftover cooked veggies from dinner the night before (try these oven roasted vegetables)
- Use soy milk and vegan cheese to make this dairy free
- This could be baked in a 9×13 pan to give you more slices, but you may need to adjust the cooking time
- Meat eaters can add cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon
Leave a Reply