This high-protein breakfast casserole recipe is a make-ahead, healthy solution for busy weekday mornings. In an effort to make my own breakfast a little faster and more nutritious for weekday mornings, I started working on this recipe. I love to make this egg bake with ground turkey on a Sunday or early Monday morning so I can eat it for the rest of the week. Packed with protein and veggies, it’s a great start to the day. It can take a little time to put together, but it makes my breakfast for the rest of the week a breeze.

Ground Turkey Egg Bake Ingredients

For this healthy, high-protein breakfast, you will need: 1 pound ground turkey, 6 eggs, 1 C cottage cheese, 1 C egg whites (I used a carton of pure egg whites for this), 1/2 onion, diced, 1 red bell pepper or color of choice / on-hand, diced, 1 C chopped mushrooms, 1 C chopped raw spinach, 1/2 C salsa of choice, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 4 oz diced chilis, 1/3 C shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese, 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp salt as desired, and freshly ground pepper.

How to Prepare this High-Protein Egg Bake

First, preheat your oven to 400°. Then wash and chop your veggies- the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and spinach. Set these aside.

The first phase of flavoring the meat and veggies takes a bit of time, but it is worth it! Heat 3 T avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When it is about 1/2 cooked, add the chopped peppers and onions and cook until the turkey is fully browned and the peppers and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes until tender. Add spinach and stir to combine.

Ground turkey, diced peppers, onions, mushrooms, and spinach all sauteed in a pan.

Next, add salsa, green chilis (if using), garlic powder, paprika, and cumin, then stir to mix. Let it cook on medium for 3 minutes or until all ingredients are mixed well together.

Ground turkey, diced peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, and all seasonings sauteed in a pan Turn the heat off and remove from the burner.

Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish. Then, pour the turkey mixture into the baking dish.

Next, in a bowl, add eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese (if using) and whisk to combine. Then whisk in salt and pepper.

Eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese in a mixing bowl

You’ll want to be sure the oven is fully preheated and ready to go at this stage. The turkey mixture is hot, so you don’t want to mix the turkey with the egg mixture before the oven is pre-heated as it would pre-cook the eggs. The egg bake should go directly into the oven once everything is mixed together. Add the egg mixture over the top of the ground turkey in the baking dish. Use a spatula to slowly stir everything together in the baking dish.

Once mixed, place in the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes. Use a toothpick or a sharp knife tip to check if it’s cooked. If you poke it in the middle and it comes out clean, it’s ready to come out of the oven.

Let it sit for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. Garnish with avocados, cilantro, and more salsa, as desired.

Modifications and Tips for this Healthy Breakfast Casserole

The diced chilis add spice, so for less spice, you can leave these out. Consider if your salsa is spicy when adding the chilis.
You can substitute any cheese of your choice for the cheddar or Mexican blend or leave it out altogether.
If you like this recipe, try this Veggie Frittata or another high-protein breakfast choice, these Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes.