Egg Bakes Make A Super Simple, Endlessly Customizable Breakfast

When it comes to breakfast, there is no bigger staple than eggs. They can be enjoyed in almost too many ways to count, from a classic eggs Benedict to just frying them up in your favorite way. Perhaps the greatest benefit to eating eggs in the morning is that they're full of protein and cook quickly, so they're an easy way to keep you full with only a little prep. But if you're cooking for a crowd, they come in handy, too — in the form of an egg bake.

You might hear an egg bake referred to as shirred eggs or even just an egg casserole, depending on how they're prepared and what they're cooked in, but the heart of the recipe is essentially eggs in a dish with a little salt and pepper. From there, you can customize it any way you want. Load it up with veggies and meat, or just keep it simple with cheese (and nobody would judge you for adding all three). Eggs have a mild flavor, so almost any ingredient would work in a dish like this.

The pairings here are up to you, but certain veggies and meats pair better together than others. For a protein-packed breakfast bake, try adding some ground turkey sausage to the dish, plus some dollops of cottage cheese and softer veggies like spinach or broccoli, which will cook quickly as the egg bake sets. You can also make a veggie-packed egg bake, such as a Mediterranean version filled with feta cheese, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and sliced red onion. Spinach is also an easy addition for a pop of green color, but fresh herbs like parsley and basil would be even better.

For a creamy, rich version of the dish, you can play on an eggs Benedict by adding ham or Canadian bacon and some spinach, then baking it as usual. While it cooks, prepare some Hollandaise sauce, and when the egg bake is ready to serve, drizzle the homemade sauce on top.

If you're not exactly a chef in the kitchen, you can still whip up this tasty breakfast or brunch. The trick is to not overcook the eggs. You can keep them whole or whisk them together, but don't bake them on too high heat — around 375 degrees Fahrenheit is all you need — and bake the dish just until the eggs are set.

If you're adding other ingredients for flavor, you might have to do a little bit of prep before baking everything in the same dish. Cook ground breakfast sausage first, for example, to ensure that it's cooked thoroughly since the eggs don't take long to set. Hearty veggies, such as asparagus or green beans, could use some time in a pan on the stove if you plan to add them into the dish. But simple elements like cheese and spinach can be added right into the egg bake for easy cooking.