This easy make ahead breakfast egg casserole can be assembled the night before and popped into the oven in the morning! It's a tasty and filling egg bake that's perfect for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or whenever you need to feed a crowd! The recipe follows the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) and is gluten free, grain free, soy free, added sugar free, and low lactose!
This overnight breakfast casserole is layered with seasoned ground turkey, peppers, onions, and eggs before being topped with cheese and baked to golden brown goodness!
An egg bake is always a crowd pleaser at a pot-luck and can even be served for dinner (my favorite)!
I actually assemble this casserole every Christmas Eve and pop it into the oven on Christmas morning before the kids start opening gifts.
By the time they're done, breakfast is ready and I haven't missed a thing!
Ingredients:
- ground turkey
- paprika
- dried rosemary
- dried oregano
- minced garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- red, orange, and green bell peppers
- Spanish onion
- eggs
- farmer cheese (dry curd cottage cheese)
- dairy free milk
- cheddar cheese
- olive oil
Substitutions and tips!
Ground Turkey - Not a fan of ground turkey? Use ground beef, ground pork, or even ground chicken instead. Just be sure to drain any fat after browning.
Farmer Cheese - Farmer cheese, also known as dry curd cottage cheese, adds a bit of creaminess to the dish and I love the extra protein and probiotics it adds. I always buy the Friendship Dairies Farmer Cheese but depending on your area it may be difficult to find. If you're unable to locate it, feel free to omit from the recipe.
Dairy Free Milk - Canned coconut milk, almond milk, or cashew milk all work in this make ahead breakfast egg casserole.
Cheddar Cheese - Feel free to use your favorite cheese here!
What if I want to add more veggies?
Go for it! The beauty of an egg casserole is the ability to customize it!
Feel free to add spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, steamed broccoli, or even mushrooms (cook it first so they don't water down the casserole)!
Serving the casserole along with some sliced avocado is also delicious.
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Do I have to let the casserole sit overnight before baking?
Some egg casseroles, like strata, use a mixture of eggs and bread and need to sit overnight in order for the bread to soak up all the eggs.
Since this casserole recipe doesn't call for bread, it can be assembled and baked right away or covered with aluminum foil and baked the next day! Isn't it nice to have options?!
How long does it need to bake?
Made ahead and baking the next morning - It will take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes to bake or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Assembled and baking straight away - Start checking for doneness around the 40 minute mark.
If the cheese starts getting too brown while baking, loosely tent the baking dish with aluminum foil.
What can I serve with this make ahead breakfast egg casserole?
This casserole is filling on it's own, but it's always nice to pair it with something a little sweet if you're having a crowd over for breakfast!
I'm partial to a slice of warm zucchini bread topped with butter, or a bowl of cauliflower oatmeal.
For something extra decadent, serve the casserole alongside pumpkin pancakes, coconut flour waffles, or spice waffles with warm apple compote.
I always serve my Grinch green pancakes along with this turkey and egg breakfast casserole on Christmas morning...the kids love it!
Try these other egg based breakfasts!
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NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
This recipe was originally published on December 16, 2017. On December 13, 2020, the post was rewritten, new pictures were added, and the recipe was altered from 6 eggs to 12 eggs.
Recipe
Make Ahead Breakfast Egg Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ small Spanish onion, diced about ¼ cup
- ½ small red bell pepper, diced about ¼ cup
- ½ small orange bell pepper, diced about ¼ cup
- ½ small green bell pepper, diced about ¼ cup
- 1 garlic clove, minced ,
- 12 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup dairy free milk canned coconut, almond, or cashew milk
- 8 ounces farmer cheese (dry curd cottage cheese) optional
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and brown, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
- Stir in the paprika, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Allow to cook for about five minutes or until the vegetables have just begun to soften.
- Spread the meat mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan.
- Crumble the farmer cheese on top of the meat.
- In a medium bowl beat together the eggs and dairy free milk. Pour over the meat and cheese as evenly as possible.
- Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 45 to 60 minutes on the middle rack until the casserole is set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cheese starts getting too brown during baking, loosely tent the baking with aluminum foil.
- Allow to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken can be used in place of ground turkey.
- If assembling the casserole and then baking straight away, start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.
Cheryl
Laura is it necessary to use any of the milks you listed in the recipe? Not crazy about coconut and can't use almond.. Could I use water instead?
Jennifer Brown
You can use cashew milk or if your system can handle whole milk, then that can be used. Water won't help the mixture set.
Laura
Hello, Is it possible to use regular cottage cheese than what you have it listed in this recipe? I could drain to get the liquid out of cottage cheese before adding into the casserole as well? As it says “dry” curd. I myself love cottage cheese. 😋
Thank you, Laura
Jennifer Brown
Yes, you can use drained cottage cheese! I hope you enjoy the recipe!