Christmas morning sets the stage for all sorts of brunch favorites. Crispy bacon, warm cinnamon rolls, smoked salmon & fixins’ platter, plus a hearty egg bake get passed around the table, everyone nice and cozy in their pajamas. It’s part of a week when we’re able to enjoy time with our family and friends, a feeling of joy and gratitude.
It’s moments like these that I think to myself, “How has another year already gone by? Preceded by “Wow, I am so fortunate for everything and everyone that has come into my life.”
This weekend we’ll head to my dad’s new house to celebrate Christmas and I’ll be serving brunch, something I’m excited about since no dining room table in our place = little entertaining. One of my favorite parts about cooking for my family is introducing them to real food versions of classics, like this Layered Vegetarian Egg Bake.
Now don’t get me wrong – a cheesy breakfast casserole with sausage and hashbrowns has comfort food written all over it. But after a few bites it starts to get pretty rich and there aren’t many layers of flavor. And in the nutrition department, it’s not looking so hot.
With the goal of making an egg bake that was a little healthier, yet just as satisfying, I teamed up with Cascadian Farm and their frozen vegetables. I’m a locavore at heart, but in December, green powerhouses like kale and swiss chard are definitely not at peak of season.
When you see them in the produce section, their leaves are often scraggly and a little brown – exactly why I love having the flash frozen option. They cook up beautifully and taste just as fresh as the day they were picked.
And no egg bake is complete without potatoes. But…. as one of the dirty dozen, potatoes have more pesticides by weight than any other vegetable. Yikes. I can’t afford to eat completely organic, but those 12 fruits and vegetables are a top priority for me. The shredded hashbrowns Cascadian Farm makes are a time saver and my fingers are spared from the usual knicks of the grater.
Not only is this brunch dish easy to make, but it’s stacked high with layers of flavors. You’ll begin by mixing the hashbrowns with an Italian cheese blend (which is nice & bold so you can get away with using half of what you normally would), sundried tomatoes and a touch of sour cream.
Half of that is spread in the bottom of the casserole dish, then the middle layer is packed with chopped artichokes, kale and garlic. Sound familiar? I had spinach artichoke dip on the brain. The remaining potato mixture sandwiches the vegetables, then lightly beaten eggs are poured over to soak into all the nooks and crannies.
Topped with a little extra cheese, it’s ready for the oven. And in about 40 minutes, out comes a golden brown, healthier egg bake that I think your family will love. A little departure from the classic, but in this case, it’s a delicious one.
Many thanks to Cascadian Farm for sponsoring this post, a company I regularly use in my kitchen. I’m so grateful they provide all of us with accessible, organic fruits and vegetables. And thank you for understanding that I carefully choose the brands I work with that help make this site possible. All opinions are 100% my own.
Layered Vegetarian Egg Bake
serves 6
use a 7×10 inch baking dish, or something with similar size surface area
1/3 cup + 2 T sour cream
1 1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend, divided (I use this one from Organic Valley)
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen Cascadian Farm organic hashbrowns
1/3 cup marinated sun dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (you can also use plain sun dried tomatoes, but you will need to rehydrate them in water before chopping)
1/3 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 10 ounce bag of Cascadian Farm organic kale
3/4 cup milk
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt + pinch of black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese, hashbrowns, sun dried tomatoes, onion, black pepper and garlic powder. Spread half of this mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Put the kale and chopped artichokes in the middle of a towel and roll up, then wring all of the water out. (This is a crucial step so that the egg bake doesn’t become soggy. Over a cup of water came out the vegetables for me!) Add these vegetables to a bowl and stir in minced garlic. Distribute over the top of the first layer. Top with remaining potato mixture, pushing down lightly.
Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons sour cream and milk together in a bowl, then add in eggs, salt and pepper. Whisk until lightly beaten, so all yolks are broken up. Pour over the top of layered mixture, then top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for about 35 minutes, until middle is not runny (test with a toothpick). Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.
Leftovers will last for 3 days in refrigerator.
What a delicious and healthy way to start the day.
I love anythign and everythign with eggs, add in some healthy veggies and its perfect. Definitely going to give this a try.
I am an egg lover too Amy! My favorite way to add protein to meals. Have a great holiday!
I love this! I was at a church brunch a couple weeks ago and all the egg bakes had meat in them. I felt so left out!
I always find myself in that situation too Lindsay. I served this last weekend and even the meat eaters loved it. Something different for the taste buds!
no lie this is making my mouth water just looking at it! LOVE it all
This is perfect! And absolutely beautiful.
thanks Emily! :) i loved taking the leftovers to work too for a satisfying breakfast.
I could eat this kind of egg bake everyday!
What a beautiful egg bake! My husband and I have been eating healthier and this looks like the perfect Christmas breakfast that will satisfy while being low in calories. Pinned to make!
This egg bake looks perfect for brunch! I love the potatoes, kale, and artichokes in it, yum!
it really is a good combination danae, thanks for stopping by!
it really is a good combination danae, thanks for stopping by!
I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
I love egg bakes…and artichokes…and hash browns…and not eating pesticides. Sounds like a good one!
I love all those things too Laurie :) I knew that potatoes were bad in the pesticide department but I didn’t know they were #1 before doing this post. Always fun to keep learning.
Love the flavorfest of layers going on here!
I love a good egg bake for a brunch. This sounds amazing with all the veggies in there!
Thanks for this great recipe! I am going to try this for my family Christmas morning!
Great Lisa, let me know how your family likes it!
That shot of the plate on your hand is unreal. You amaze me. And you are inspiring me to try to make Christmas brunch – annnnd I’m sending your recipe to my mom to get the ingredients:)
If I only I had photography skills like you girl, but thank you :) It’s getting so tough with all the dark days in Minnesota. We are set for 10 days ahead with zero sun. Yikes! If your mom does make the egg bake, I hope you enjoy :) xo
I made this for Christmas morning and it’s soooo good. Just the right amount of cheese and the artichokes make it super addicting. I’m still eating the leftovers:) Thanks for the recipe!
gah! makes my day that you made it, and enjoyed it! :) i loved the leftovers too, for lunch & dinner. when i made it for my dad’s family (who normally isn’t too adventurous), they liked it too. xo friend…
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it for my family.
I am planning on making this for Christmas morning, can’t wait. Yum! Do you think making it the day before is ok and refrigerating overnight? Has anyone tried this? Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Hi Laurie! I just made it again this weekend and what I did was prep all the ingredients the night before, so combine the potato mixture and put in a bowl, then prepare the filling layer and store in a bowl. In the morning I whisked the eggs, then assembled with and it took just five minutes to get it into the oven. Worked perfectly! I wouldn’t completely assemble it overnight because the potatoes might soak up too much of the egg. Happy holidays!
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly.
Great time-saving tips:)
I’ll let you know what the crowd thinks!
I am very excited to use this for a family breakfast. Couple over-anxious questions….do you need to thaw the hash browns or the kale first–especially if prepping the night before? Thanks a lot!!!
Hi Nini! Yes, thaw both the hashbrowns and the kale, as you will need to squeeze out all the extra water from it. If possible, assemble, but wait to pour the egg mixture on top of it until the morning. Enjoy!
i know this is an older recipe, but just came across it….could i use spinach instead of kale? not sure if my family likes the stronger taste of kale….
hi! yes, i definitely think you could use spinach, just make sure to squeeze the moisture out like instructed with the kale.