I try to eat healthy. I love breakfast foods. But during the work week, I struggle to find healthy breakfasts that I can easily eat at the office. One day I saw a picture on the internet and it gave me the idea for this recipe! The picture was a muffin tin lined with bacon with an egg cracked in each. I adapted that to be vegetarian, easily transportable, and easily microwavable! Enter: my bake-ahead eggs & veggies for easy breakfasts.
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The Egg and Veggie Bake Recipe
This egg bake recipe is really versatile and can be adjusted to suite different tastes or to use up whatever is in the fridge or freezer. The way I make it is vegetarian and gluten free.
My Ingredient Selection
- eggs
- shredded cheese
- diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
- spinach, frozen or fresh chopped
- broccoli or cauliflower, chopped to bite size pieces, fresh steamed or frozen
- black beans, canned or prepared from dry
- spices, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning
Quantities of each ingredient are really based on personal preference. Per egg, I typically use about 2-3 teaspoons each tomatoes, frozen spinach, and black beans; 1-1.5 Tbsp cooked & well drained broccoli and/or cauliflower; a pinch of cheese, and a shake (or pinch) or two of Montreal Steak Seasoning, or whatever seasoning I am using at the time.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- If using frozen broccoli or cauliflower, thaw and drain excess water. For 8-9 eggs, I fill a glass measuring cup about 2 cups full of frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower (it compresses a lot once thawed) and microwave about 4 minutes on high, stir, and add 30 seconds at a time until no longer frozen. [I have a 700 watt microwave, times will vary depending on the microwave.]
- Prepare materials. I use 1 egg per mason jar because this is a good breakfast size for me. I use the 12oz mason jars, but 8oz may work. (Due to high water content of the veggies, steam can cause the cooked eggs/veggies to rise – look at the title picture! and I am afraid in an 8oz jar the eggs might pop out.) If using 2 eggs per jar, I would use a 16oz mason jar. Spray the inside of each mason jar with nonstick spray. Place the mason jars on a sturdy rimmed baking dish or pan. This will allow placing all of the jars into and removing out of the oven at the same time.
- Prepare all of the veggies and other egg add-ins. Shred cheese. Place spices in an easy to reach area. I chop the broccoli/cauliflower, drain excess water, and place in one bowl. I’ve been using tomatoes that I canned a couple years ago, so I drain a bunch of those and set them in another bowl. Drain some black beans and set in another bowl.
- Prepare egg bakes: One at a time method. I like this because each has a nice even distribution of veggies and add-ins. Crack egg(s) into a prep bowl. I like using a 1-cup measuring cup because the spout makes it easy to pour into the mason jars. Beat the egg. Add spices and mix. Add desired amount of each add-in and mix to distribute throughout the egg. Pour into one of the prepared mason jars.
- Prepare egg bakes: Batch method. In a large bowl, beat all the eggs. Add spices and mix in. Add all add-ins and mix well to distribute. Carefully pour, or use a ladel and funnel if desired, to divide the egg mixture between the prepared mason jars.
- Bake at 350F for 45-60* minutes, until the egg is cooled through and excess water has evaporated off. When I use frozen veggies and don’t drain as well, my cook time is 60 minutes; when I drain well or use fresh veggies, 45 minutes is enough to cook through the egg. *I like thoroughly cooked eggs, I cannot stand runny eggs. I don’t find these eggs to be dry or overcooked, but please keep this in mind if you try this recipe.
Eggs and Veggies Bake-Ahead Breakfasts
Ingredients
- eggs
- shredded cheese
- diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- spinach frozen thawed & drained or fresh chopped
- broccoli or cauliflower chopped to bite size pieces, fresh steamed or frozen thawed & drained
- black beans canned or prepared from dry
- spices such as Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Quantities of each ingredient are really based on personal preference. Per egg I typically use about 2-3 teaspoons each tomatoes, frozen spinach, and black beans; 1-1.5 Tbsp cooked; well drained broccoli and/or cauliflower; a pinch of cheese, and a shake (or pinch) or two of Montreal Steak Seasoning, or whatever seasoning I am using at the time.
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350F.
- 2. If using frozen broccoli or cauliflower, thaw and drain excess water. For a batch of 8-9 eggs, I fill a glass measuring cup about 2 cups full of frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower (it compresses a lot once thawed) and microwave about 4 minutes on high, stir, and add 30 seconds at a time until no longer frozen, then drain excess water. [I have a 700 watt microwave, times will vary depending on the microwave.]
- 3. Prepare materials. I use 1 egg per mason jar because this is a good breakfast size for me. I use the 12 oz mason jars, but 8 oz may work. (Due to high water content of the veggies, steam can cause the cooked eggs/veggies to rise - look at the title picture! and I am afraid in an 8oz jar the eggs might pop out.) If using 2 eggs per jar, I would use a 16oz mason jar. Spray the inside of each mason jar with nonstick spray. Place the mason jars on a sturdy rimmed baking dish or pan. This will allow placing all of the jars into and removing out of the oven at the same time.
- 4. Prepare all of the veggies and other egg add-ins. Shred cheese. Place spices in an easy to reach area. I chop the broccoli/cauliflower, drain excess water, and place in one bowl. I've been using tomatoes that I canned a couple years ago, so I drain a bunch of those (about 1 can for 8-9 egg bakes) and set them in another bowl. Drain some black beans (about 1/2 can) and set in another bowl.
- 5.a. Prepare egg bakes: One at a time method. I like this because each has a nice even distribution of veggies and add-ins. Crack egg(s) into a prep bowl. I like using a 1-cup measuring cup because the spout makes it easy to pour into the mason jars. Beat the egg. Add spices and mix. Add desired amount of each add-in and mix to distribute throughout the egg. Pour into one of the prepared mason jars.
- 5.b. Prepare egg bakes: Batch method. In a large bowl, beat all the eggs. Add spices and mix in. Add all add-ins and mix well to distribute. Carefully pour, or use a ladel and funnel if desired, to divide the egg mixture between the prepared mason jars.
- 6. Bake at 350F for 45-60* minutes, until the egg is cooled through and excess water has evaporated off. When I use frozen veggies and don't drain as well, my cook time is 60 minutes; when I drain well or use fresh veggies, 45 minutes is enough to cook through the egg.
- 7. Reheating: If not eating immediately upon cooling to safe temperature, cover and refrigerate or freeze. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave 60 seconds (from refrigerator) or 90 seconds (from freezer). Note that times will vary depending on your microwave (mine is 700 watts).
Notes
Eating and Reheating Egg Bakes
These eggs can be eaten as soon as they have cooled enough once they have come out of the oven. However, I love these as meal-prep meals, so after baking I let them cool, cover, then refrigerate or freeze. For me, they last a week in the fridge and a month in the freezer (probably would last even longer in the freezer).
When I am ready to eat these, I remove the mason jar lid an microwave for 1 minute. If I had frozen and put in the fridge the night before, I microwave 1 minute 30 seconds.
Why Make Bake-Ahead Eggs?
I love these veggie egg bakes because they are healthy, filling, inexpensive, and taste great – because I can put whatever flavors I like into them. Especially in the winter, I love having a warm breakfast. I’ve never been able to like oatmeal, as much as I try, and I prefer yogurt as an afternoon snack. I just really like eggs for breakfast, and never before had a way to make them in a way that I liked and could easily prepare in the office.
How much do egg bakes cost?
Cost is highly dependent on ingredient selection and quantity, so this cost breakdown is for exactly what I have included in this recipe. Price information is based on the last time I purchased each item, which was March 2019 timeframe.
- eggs $1.68/dozen at Aldi. $1.68/9=$0.14
- shredded cheese $2.25/8oz at Shaw’s. About 1 oz used for 9 eggs. $2.25/8oz/9eggs= $0.031
- diced tomatoes, fresh or canned $1.99/pint at Aldi, ~$0.75 per home-canned. I used 1 can, drained used for 9 eggs. $0.75/9= $0.083
- organic spinach, frozen. $6.29/3.5 lb (1588 grams) at BJ’s. 1 tablespoon used per egg, 16 Tbsp/cup and 1 cup=85grams. ($6.29/1588g)x(85g/16Tbsp) =$0.021
- organic broccoli, frozen, ~1.5 Tbsp per egg rounding up to 1 cup cooked per 9 eggs. $7.49/4 lb (1814g) at BJ’s (1 cup/100 gram / serving) ($7.49/1814g)x(100g/1cup)= $0.413
- black beans, prepared from dry. $2.49/2 lb at Aldi yields about 14 cups or the equivalent of 7 cans coked beans; $2.49/7=$0.3557 per can containing about 14 Tbsp. $0.3557/14= $0.025
- Montreal Steak Seasoning, $3.69/3.4oz when I bought it at Stop & Shop (but even less on Amazon!). No idea precisely how much I use each time, but this seems to last forever. I will estimate $0.02 per egg bake.
Total per each egg bake: $0.733. I’ll round up to $0.75 per egg.
For a meal that is well rounded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, tastes delicious and is filling, this is a great price! I often combine this egg bake with a banana and it keeps me full until lunch.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes?
Try my black bean veggie burger, a lentil-chickpea recipe that’s my version of Trader Joe’s Melodious Blend, or this veggie- and grain-rich casserole.
Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see more vegetarian meal recipes or healthy dessert recipes!
