I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve tested this cottage cheese breakfast casserole. At first, I tried making it with sweet potatoes and no cheese. (Which is delicious, but the macros weren’t where I wanted them to be.)
Then I tried making this with canned white beans and adding cottage cheese for a velvety texture. This version was better, but the white beans were a little more noticeable than I would have liked.
That’s when I had a lightbulb moment. I could sneak lentils into the homemade ground turkey “sausage” just like I do in my healthy burgers and tacos. The lentils go almost entirely unnoticed, but they add a hefty serving of fiber to each slice. And when you start with canned lentils, there’s no extra cooking required.
This is my go-to breakfast when I want something that easily meets my macro nutrient goals. It has 45 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving, all for less than 400 calories. If you serve it with a half cup of raspberries on the side, you’ll add 4 more grams of fiber, too.
Egg Casserole with Cottage Cheese Ingredients
- Ground Turkey. Since it can be hard to meet protein goals with eggs alone, this recipe quickly cooks ground turkey with some pantry spices to create a sausage flavor. This helps you avoid any yucky ingredients found in store-bought sausage.
- Canned Lentils. This is the easiest way to add fiber to a breakfast casserole. They blend right in with the tiny pieces of cooked turkey, without adding a noticeable flavor or texture. You can use 1.5 cups of cooked lentils, if you already have some in your fridge, too.
- Eggs. You’ll need a dozen eggs to make an entire casserole. If you want to swap some of these for egg whites, feel free to do so. I’ve always heard that 1/4 cup of egg whites will replace one egg.
- Spinach. I buy the 5-ounce bags of baby spinach from the store, and include the whole thing in this casserole! It’s such an easy way to add leafy greens to your breakfast, but they shrink down a lot, so it’s not overwhelming.
- Cottage Cheese. This not only adds protein, but it also gives the eggs a creamy, velvety texture. I like to blend the cottage cheese into the eggs, so it’s not noticeable, but you can also stir it in if you don’t mind seeing the curds throughout the casserole.
- Shallot. I use this for a mild onion flavor. The first time I tested this egg bake, I used a whole yellow onion, and I found it too sweet with everything else. But any onion you have on hand will do, or you can leave it out if you’re in a hurry.
- Pantry Spices. Ground sage, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper help to create a sausage-like flavor. If you love fennel, you can add that here, too. (My family does not enjoy it, so I left it out.)
How to Make a High-Protein Breakfast Casserole
Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. I use a stainless steel pan (affiliate link), as I think it bakes faster than a glass dish, so just keep in mind that using a glass dish might require a few more minutes of baking.
While the oven is preheating, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Start cooking 1 chopped shallot. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until it starts to soften. (It will continue to cook as you go, so don’t worry about it becoming fully tender yet.)
Then add 1 pound of ground turkey and season it with a half teaspoon of fine sea salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Cook, continuing to break it up, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
Step 2:
Next, add 5 ounces of baby spinach to the pan. I like to roughly chop it up, so the pieces will be even smaller in the final casserole. It will look like a lot at first, but it will wilt quickly as you stir it into the turkey.
Then add a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed lentils, and season with 1 teaspoon of ground sage, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and a half teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Stir until everything is heated through, and add additional salt if it’s not flavorful enough. (I usually add another 1/2 teaspoon, but it will vary based on your taste buds and the type of salt you use.)
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Step 3:
Crack a dozen eggs into a blender and add 1.5 cups of cottage cheese. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt, then secure the lid and blend until smooth. Pour the blended eggs over the mixture in the baking dish, then gently jiggle the pan to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
Bake at 375ºF for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center no longer wiggles if you shake the pan. The top should look lightly golden, and there may be areas that puff up as it bakes. (Don’t worry, the whole thing will flatten as it cools.)
Remove the pan from the oven once the center looks firm, then let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into 6 large squares. Enjoy with some berries on the side for extra fiber!
Storage Tips
Transfer the slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can reheat a slice in the microwave for 60 to 75 seconds or in the air fryer at 350ºF for 5 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 shallot , chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt & black pepper
- 5 ounces spinach , roughly chopped
- 15 ounces lentils , drained and rinsed
- 12 large eggs
- 1.5 cups cottage cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. (I use a stainless steel one, which I think bakes faster than a glass pan.) While the oven preheats, arrange a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the shallot until translucent, about 2 minutes, stirring often.
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Add the ground turkey to the skillet and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Cook until it’s no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Then season the meat with the ground sage, red pepper flakes, another ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir well to distribute the seasonings.
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Next, add in the spinach and stir until it’s wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. It will shrink down significantly! Then add the drained lentils and season with another ½ teaspoon of salt. Once everything is warm, transfer the mixture to the greased pan and spread it out evenly.
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In a blender, add the 12 eggs, cottage cheese, and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Secure the lid and blend until smooth. Then pour the eggs over the mixture in the pan. Gently shake the pan to make sure everything is distributed evenly, then bake at 375ºF until the center looks cooked through, about 40 minutes. (A glass pan might take longer, FYI.)
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As soon as the center of the casserole no longer jiggles, you can remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Slice it into 6 big squares and enjoy it warm. (You can cut the slices smaller for a brunch, but the 6 slices are great if you’re trying to meet macro goals for a meal prep routine.)
When the casserole is done, the top will look golden, and some areas might “puff up” in the oven. Don’t worry, it will totally flatten when it cools.
Nutrition information is for 1 of 6 slices (about 269g per slice). This information is automatically calculated using an online ingredient database, so it’s just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Lentil Swap: You can replace the lentils with a can of beans instead for a similar result. I like how small the lentils are, so you can’t tell if you’re eating them or the ground turkey.
Cottage Cheese: I tested this recipe with low-fat (2%) cottage cheese. I think any other variety would work similarly, though. If you want to omit the cheese, feel free! I’d also cut back on the salt in that case.
Salt Note: I use Redmond’s Real Salt (fine) for my recipe testing. This is a pink salt and will probably taste a lot different than white table salt. If you’re watching your sodium, feel free to use less! But if your dish tastes bland, it’s probably because it needed more salt.
Serving: 269grams | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 417mg | Sodium: 414mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2809IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 5mg
More High-Protein Recipes to Try
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.