This egg white casserole with sweet potato crust is the perfect make-ahead breakfast! Packed with protein and vegetables, it will keep you full all morning long!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: 18 grams of protein per serving, and only 187 calories, and it’s really delicious!
How long it takes: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: 9 x 13 inch baking pan, oven, skillet, mixing bowl
Servings: 12
Mornings are hectic around here. HECTIC. We live a little ways from school, so it’s rise and shine for my kiddos at 6:30am and we’re out the door between 7 and 7:15. I usually get up between 4:45 and 5:15 to squeeze in a workout and some work.
Breakfast is rushed, everything is rushed. Rushing is the price I pay for refusing to wake the kids up earlier (because we all know I’d pay for that later in the day!).
Ben leaves super early for work, too, usually before 6:30am. And he comes home after 6pm every day, except when he has meetings/concerts/games, etc – which is two to three nights a week. Those nights he isn’t home until 9:30 or 10pm. He works many Saturdays, too.
So, in case anyone thinks school principals don’t put in the hours or work, let me assure you, they do. Sometimes I wish he didn’t have quite the work ethic he does so that maybe we’d see him more often, but I know over 800 kids benefit from that work ethic so I put on my big girl pants and deal with the long hours here at home.
Another thing I do to make mornings easier is to prep breakfast on the weekends whenever possible. Sometimes it’s pancakes but lately I’ve been just loving this breakfast casserole. It’s packed full of protein (turkey sausage! egg whites! cottage cheese!).
This recipe is inspired by Cookin’ Canuck’s version and we’re obsessed with it. Dara’s recipe uses russet potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, and while I love it both ways, Ben prefers it with sweet potatoes.
About this egg casserole
Shredded sweet potatoes make up the first layer (the crust) of this egg white casserole. After I peel and wash the potatoes, I use my food processor with the shredding attachment and the job is done in literally 30 seconds.
If you don’t have a food processor or you’re in the mood for a workout, you could use a box grater (I have this one and have no complaints about it). A third alternative is your spiralizer if you have one (I have this one – I’ve tried three and it’s my favorite). I’d use the smallest blade and then give the sweet potato noodles a quick chop with your knife to shorten the noodles.
If you prefer, use russet potatoes instead of sweet potatoes.
How to make this recipe
As always, you’ll find the complete printable recipe at the end of this post. Here’s the quick low-down:
- Shred sweet potatoes, mix with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread into a greased pan.
- Prebake the crust a little while you make the filling.
- Sauté sausage and vegetables and put the rest of the filling ingredients in a bowl: Eggs, egg whites, two types of cheese, milk. Mix the cooked sausage and vegetables into the egg mixture.
- Pour the egg mixture over the pre-baked crust and pop in the oven. BAKE!
- The only thing left to do is enjoy it or refrigerate it for tomorrow.
If you’re not serving this right away, make sure to pop it in the fridge after it’s baked and cooled for an hour. Wait to cover it up until it’s completely cooled, though, or you’ll end up with a lot of moisture on top of your egg white casserole from condensation.
PS: 18 grams of protein and 187 calories per serving. BOOM. Breakfast is SERVED!
Make it Your Own
You can easily adapt this recipe to use different vegetables or even a different type of meat (ham would be good!). You can also substitute bacon or turkey bacon for the sausage.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian recipe, omit the meat and add extra vegetables. We love spinach, but broccoli is great too. I’ve made it with mushrooms and it comes out fantastic. Bell peppers or onions would be really good, too. The sky is the limit!
Want to make it paleo? Leave out the milk and cheese and it still tastes awesome!
Leftover casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. I haven’t tried freezing it but I’m thinking it would be okay. Don’t freeze uncooked egg casseroles (USDA).
To reheat, microwave individual portions gently until heated through.
make-ahead breakfast ideas
- Crockpot Oatmeal (Steel Cut Oats)
- Pancake Mix – with 100% whole wheat option
- Banana Coconut Blender Pancakes
- Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Egg White Frittata Muffins
- Pan-Seared Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit
- Apple Spice Quinoa Pancakes
- Western Baked Omelet from Foodie with Family
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Baked Oatmeal from The Cookie Rookie
Egg White Casserole with Sweet Potato Crust
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 16 ounces lean ground turkey sausage
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh baby spinach
- 2 large eggs
- 10 egg whites
- ⅓ cup skim milk
- 16 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss the shredded sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish, pressing down into the bottom of the pan, and up the sides, if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown on edges.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F.
- While the crust bakes, cook turkey sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When it's nearly done, add bell pepper and green onions and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until bell peppers are tender. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, 1-2 minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs with egg whites and skim milk. Stir in cottage cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Stir turkey sausage mixture into egg mixture until combined.
- When crust has finished cooking, pour egg and sausage mixture over the crust.
- Bake at 375°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until eggs are set.
- Serve hot. If you would like to serve it later, cool in refrigerator, and then cover, and keep stored in fridge. Reheat before serving.
Notes
- If you forget to reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, have no fear, your casserole will still turn out fine! I’ve done the same thing: it’s just a little crispier around the edges and on the top.
- If your shredded sweet potatoes seem to have a lot of moisture, use a paper towel or a lint-free towel to wring or blot out some of the excess liquid.
- The sweet potatoes don’t have to be peeled if they are well-scrubbed and trimmed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Why does the pinterest picture say 28 grams of protein per serving and the recipe says 18 g?
Great question haha! I’m guessing we edited the recipe after that Pinterest image made its rounds. Nutrition information is definitely an estimate, though!
I want to cook the sweet potato base a day ahead. Then add remaining ingredients the next day and cook egg dish. Is that possible?
I think that should work!
Can I cook the sweet potato crust the day before. Then add all remaining ingredients together and cook the next day?
Looking forward to making it for brunch!
That should work fine!
Hi! Is there a vegetarian sub I could use to replace the sausage?
You could just leave it out. Otherwise mushrooms are always a good choice!
I’ve made this a few times, and it’s become my favorite egg bake, it is so delicious with well-balanced flavors!
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I’ve made this many times for my family. They love it! Wondering if anyone has tried freezing it after baked?
I haven’t tried, but I think it would freeze well.
I am planning on serving this for company for breakfast tomorrow. Can I make ahead today and refrigerate? How will that change the cooking time?
I think that should work fine! I haven’t tested it so I’m not exactly sure on cook time, but I’d take it out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before cooking if you’re doing it in a glass pan. If you put a cold glass pan in a hot oven, it may crack. If you do that, I’d still plan on adding 10-15 minutes to the bake time, but just keep on eye on it.
I have to say this is one of my favorite recipes ever. I’ve been meal prepping it weekly for over a year now and I just love it! So convenient and high protein! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that, Gwen! Thank you for taking the time to let me know, it means so much to me! And I’m impressed with your devotion to meal prepping… I always try but never get too far.
Have you tried to make this without cheese? I’m planning to make it and just leave it out. I love cheese, but my belly doesn’t.
You can definitely make this without cheese!
This was so so good!! Next time I make this (and there will be a next time), I might even double the sweet potatoes to make a thicker crust.
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that!