Cheesy Ham & Peppers Egg Bake

60 mins Difficulty: Medium

Categories: Breakfast Eggs Main dishes Pork Recipes

Cheesy ham & peppers egg bake is a deluxe but quick and hot low carb breakfast you can enjoy all week.

Cheesy ham & peppers egg bake has one special ingredient makes this exactly like a bread-based breakfast casserole, but without the bread (you’d never know!)

Cheesy ham & peppers egg bake

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Ever since I can remember, an egg bake (or breakfast casserole, whatever you want to call it) was something my mom would put together on Christmas eve or almost any other night before an overnight family holiday get-together so she could have it ready to just pop in the oven the next morning to easily feed everyone a hot breakfast quickly.

The base of the egg bake was cubed or sliced bread, or stuffing cubes laid down in a pan, and then you’d top that with sauteed vegetables, maybe some sausage or ham, then pour eggs and cheese over it, chill overnight, then bake for an hour and eat it right out of the oven. The result is like almost like an omelet meets a creamy, fluffy, cheesy, cake-like savory dish that was very pleasing, filling, and inexpensive to make, yet could fed a crowd of 6-8 people.

Since it’s full of bread (a no-no for us diabetics) an egg bake is just one of those things I’ve missed for years being on keto, although I always managed to happily eat an egg bake without bread, potatoes, or something carby used as the base (and countless crustless quiches), having something closer to the real thing has been really nice.

I thought there would be a good chance that the PSMF bread I have been perfecting (which I found via Maria Emmerich earlier this year) might be a good substitute for the bread traditionally used in an egg bake, and I was right. I hope you enjoy my cheesy ham & peppers egg bake.

Cheesy Ham & Peppers Egg Bake

Make this deluxe breakfast casserole for a quick and hot low carb breakfast all week. This cheesy ham & peppers egg bake has one special ingredient makes this exactly like a bread-based breakfast casserole, but without the bread (you’d never know!)

2 tbsp butter
40 grams onion, diced
80 grams bell peppers, diced
6-8 ounces cheese, grated ((whatever you like, I used Irish cheddar))
1/2 tsp bacon grease
8 ounces cooked chopped ham
1/2 tsp salt, divided
12 large eggs
3 egg whites
3/4 cup buttermilk ((or half & half or heavy cream))
Dash Herbs/seasonings of your choice ((I used a dash each, of onion powder, ground poultry seasoning, dry mustard, and smoked paprika))
1/2 batch PSMF bread recipe

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a metal or glass cake pan with parchment.
Dice the peppers, onions, and ham.
In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the butter. Once it’s melted, saute the peppers and onions until no longer crisp, and slightly softened. Season with half the salt, stir, and set aside.
Back in the skillet, melt the bacon grease and fry the ham just until lightly browned on both sides.
Add the vegetables back into the pan and combine well, turn off the heat.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs + egg whites together with the milk or cream, the seasonings, and the remaining salt.
Layer the cubed bread, then the ham & peppers mixture, and then sprinkle on half the grated cheese. Pour the egg mixture over all, coating everything evenly.
If you notice the bread-to-liquid ratio is too high, add more liquids (3-4 more beaten eggs mixed with milk). You’re better off with a more soupy batter than a very thick one.
Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake 40-45 minutes until the center is no longer jiggling/wet, and uncover. Then sprinkle on the remaining cheese and let bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the cheese is golden on top.
Let cool about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings. Refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days.

RECIPE NOTES

Variations/Substitutions:

You can use any combination of meats (ham, bacon, pork or turkey sausage, beef, etc.), cheeses (cheddar, Swiss, provolone, Havarti, mozzarella, Gouda, etc.), or vegetables (onions, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers) for this cheesy ham & peppers egg bake.

To Reheat:

Place a piece of egg bake onto a microwave-safe dish and cover with a paper towel or steam-vented lid and cook on HIGH power for 45-60 seconds or on MEDIUM power for 90-120 seconds.

You can also reheat this in a skillet over medium heat with a drop or two of water, and cover it to steam until heated through.

To make this dairy-free:

Use coconut oil, ghee, lard, olive oil, etc. to saute the vegetables and meat.

Replace the buttermilk/cream with coconut milk or cream, or almond milk.

Omit the cheese, or use a dairy-free cheese.

Breakfast

American

breakfast casserole, keto egg bake

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter
40 grams onion, diced
80 grams bell peppers, diced
6-8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
(whatever you like, I used Irish cheddar)
1/2 teaspoon bacon grease
8 ounces cooked chopped ham
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
12 large eggs + 3 egg whites
3/4 cup buttermilk (or half & half or heavy cream)
Herbs and seasonings of your choice, to taste
(I used a dash each, of onion powder, ground poultry seasoning, dry mustard, and smoked paprika)
1/2 batch of PSMF bread recipe

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a metal or glass cake pan with parchment.

Dice the peppers, onions, and ham.

In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the butter. Once it’s melted, saute the peppers and onions until no longer crisp, and slightly softened. Season with half the salt, stir, and set aside.

Back in the skillet, melt the bacon grease and fry the ham just until lightly browned on both sides.

Add the vegetables back into the pan and combine well, turn off the heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs + egg whites together with the milk or cream, the seasonings, and the remaining salt.

Layer the cubed bread, then the ham & peppers mixture, and then sprinkle on half the grated cheese. Pour the egg mixture over all, coating everything evenly.

If you notice the bread-to-liquid ratio is too high, add more liquids (3-4 more beaten eggs mixed with milk). You’re better off with a more soupy batter than a very thick one.

Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake 40-45 minutes until the center is no longer jiggling/wet, and uncover. Then sprinkle on the remaining cheese and let bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the cheese is golden on top.

Let cool about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. Refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days.

NOTES:

Substitutions:

You can use any combination of meats (ham, bacon, pork or turkey sausage, beef, etc.), cheeses (cheddar, Swiss, provolone, Havarti, mozzarella, Gouda, etc.), or vegetables (onions, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers) for this cheesy ham & peppers egg bake.

To Reheat:

Place a piece of egg bake onto a microwave-safe dish and cover with a paper towel or steam-vented lid and cook on HIGH power for 45-60 seconds or on MEDIUM power for 90-120 seconds.

You can also reheat this in a skillet over medium heat with a drop or two of water, and cover it to steam until heated through.

To make this dairy-free:

Use coconut oil, ghee, lard, olive oil, etc. to saute the vegetables and meat.

Replace the buttermilk/cream with coconut milk or cream, or almond milk.

Omit the cheese, or use a dairy-free cheese.

Slicing and cubing the bread