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!)
INGREDIENTS
- 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 (or 10 oz your favorite keto/low carb bread)
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.
- While vegetables & ham are cooking, slice and cube the bread and set aside.
- 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.