Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
Nutrition Snapshot
This high-protein egg bake is one of those recipes I rely on when mornings are busy and cooking from scratch just isn’t happening. It’s made with eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and frozen vegetables, then baked until set and sliceable. The result is a simple, savory breakfast that reheats in minutes and tastes just as good a few days later. Adding cottage cheese and egg whites boosts the protein without changing the texture, making it more filling than a typical egg bake while still tasting like real food.
When I owned my gym, members constantly asked me for realistic ways to eat more protein—without relying on protein shakes or bars they didn’t enjoy. This is exactly the kind of recipe I’d suggest. It takes about five minutes to prep thanks to the blender and frozen vegetables, bakes hands-off in the oven, and can be kept simple or customized depending on what you’re craving. I usually stick with salt and garlic powder, but I’ve also mixed in things like sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, chili garlic crunch, or feta when I want to switch it up.
If you’re looking for more make-ahead, high-protein breakfast ideas, my High Protein Egg Bites are another easy savory option, while the High Protein Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats are perfect when you want something sweet but still protein forward.
Key Ingredients
This is not a full list of ingredients, you can find that below in the recipe card. This is meant to just highlight some things you might need to know about key ingredients.
- Cottage Cheese – Not all cottage cheese is created equal, and the amount of liquid really matters here. You want a cottage cheese that isn’t overly watery so the egg bake sets up properly. I typically use Good Culture when testing because it’s consistently thicker. If you notice excess liquid in your cottage cheese, drain it using a fine-mesh strainer before adding it to the blender.
- Frozen Chopped Vegetables – Use whatever frozen vegetables you have on hand, making sure they are all chopped into small, bite size pieces (you may need to chop up things like broccoli into smaller bites. That said, I especially love PuraVida Primavera Mistura, which I find at Sprouts, Publix, and Costco. The veggies are coated in avocado oil, garlic powder, Himalayan pink salt, onion powder, and black pepper, which adds a lot of flavor with zero extra effort. If you’re using plain frozen vegetables instead, be sure to add an extra pinch of salt and garlic powder to compensate.
What makes this high in protein
- Cottage cheese – One cup of cottage cheese typically contains 25 to 28 grams of protein (depending on the fat content).
- Egg whites – One cup of liquid egg whites provides about 40–45 grams of protein
- Whole eggs – Each large egg adds roughly 6 grams of protein
Tips for success
- Fresh vegetables work well too: chopped tomatoes, finely chopped kale or spinach, and red or yellow onion are all great options.
- If using fresh onion, sauté it first to help the flavor really stand out.
- If you only have an 8×8 pan, bake in batches or cut the recipe in half to avoid overflow.
Easy High Protein Egg Bake with Cottage Cheese
Recommended Equipment
- Blender see tips if you don't have a large blender available.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 16 oz. cottage cheese, 4%
- 16 oz carton egg whites
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 oz. frozen veggies, Pura Vida if you can find them
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Add eggs, cottage cheese, egg whites, salt and garlic powder to a large blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.12 eggs | 16 oz. cottage cheese | 16 oz carton egg whites | 1 teaspoon salt | 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Spray a large 9X13 casserole dish with oil and add the cottage cheese egg mixture.
- Distribute the frozen veggies throughout the egg mixture.10 oz. frozen veggies
- Bake at 375F for 45 minutes. After taking out of the oven, allow to cool 15 minute before slicing.
Notes
- Use a large blender. A full-size blender works best since the cottage cheese, eggs, and egg whites nearly fill it. An immersion blender in a large bowl is another great option.
- If all you have is a bullet blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese with a few eggs first, then whisk everything together in a large bowl.
- No need to thaw frozen vegetables. Add them straight from the freezer.
- Use a large baking dish. A 9×13 casserole dish is ideal. This recipe makes 6 very large servings and can overflow in smaller pans.
- Grease the pan well. Egg bakes tend to stick, so be generous with oil or cooking spray to make slicing and cleanup easier.
- Let it rest before slicing. Allow the egg bake to cool for 10–15 minutes so it can fully set.
- Check the center for doneness. The middle should be just set and no longer jiggly before removing it from the oven. You will notice that it puffs up during baking, it will quickly come back down when cooling.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight containers.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
Flavor Variations & Add Ins
This egg bake is meant to be a simple base recipe that you can change up depending on what you’re craving or what you have on hand.
- Mediterranean-Inspired – add things like pesto, feta, crumbled goa cheese, chopped olives, drained chopped artichoke hearts or sundried tomatoes.
- Spicy & Savory – some of my favorites are chili onion crunch, crushed red pepper flakes, everything bagel seasoning
- Italian-Style – Italian seasoning, shredded mozzarella, chopped turkey pepperoni, pizza sauce
- Tex-Mex – Black beans, taco seasoning, shredded cheddar
Common questions
Is this egg bake good for meal prep?
Yes, that’s one of the main reasons I make this recipe. It’s a great option when you want a high-protein breakfast already prepped for the week. It reheats well in both the microwave and air fryer. I like to store individual portions in glass containers so I can reheat one quickly on busy mornings.
This egg bake will keep for about 5 days when stored in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator.
Do I have to use cottage cheese?
I really love the texture of this egg bake with cottage cheese. It blends right in, and you won’t taste it at all. It adds a creaminess you don’t typically get in egg bakes, similar to the texture of sous vide egg bites.
You can make this without cottage cheese, but I recommend adding about 1 tablespoon of flour or arrowroot powder to help prevent the egg bake from becoming watery, especially after reheating.
Is there a way to make this dairy-free?
Yes. You can either omit the cottage cheese entirely or substitute it with 8 ounces of dairy-free ricotta. I like Kite Hill, but any dairy-free ricotta you can find will work. Keep in mind that dairy-free options are lower in protein, an 8-ounce container of Kite Hill has about 20 grams of protein, but it will still bake up well.
Do I have to use egg whites?
The egg whites are what make this a really high-protein egg bake. They add a significant amount of protein without changing the flavor or texture, and they’re very convenient to use.
If you skip the egg whites, the recipe will still work, but it will bake faster. In that case, bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set.
Can I freeze this egg bake?
Egg bakes freeze well. Let it cool completely, slice into portions, and store in airtight containers or freezer bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating for best texture.
