When I posted my Green Chile Cheese Egg White Bake recipe, I mentioned the versatility of the base of the recipe. Here’s to putting the proof in the pudding! Using the very same base of egg whites and low-fat cottage cheese, I’ve totally changed the vibe by replacing the green chiles with roasted red peppers and breakfast sausage. The result is a protein packed, make ahead breakfast to serve a crowd or as weekly meal prep. Heck, I’ve been known to grab a square from the fridge and eat it as quick, on-the-go snack.
If you missed the post including green chile version of this recipe, you might be thinking, “what the heck is she doing mixing egg whites and cottage cheese?!?” I’ll admit it again, I too was skeptical. Once you see the difference in flavor and texture between egg whites as a stand alone base for an egg white bake and the addition of low-fat cottage cheese, you’ll understand! Low-fat cottage cheese is high in protein, moderate in carbs, and low in fat, but still has a creamy texture and great flavor! As an ingredient you’re adding nutrients, texture, and flavor to otherwise bland, rubbery egg whites. Trust me on this one!
Sausage Selection
This recipe can be as spicy as you want it to be just by selecting different heat levels of breakfast sausage. I like it hot, so I use the hot breakfast sausage. If you aren’t game for a spicy breakfast, go with mild. You do you! If you’re short on breakfast sausage, Italian sausage would also be delicious!
For me, pork sausage is my go to sausage, but just about any sausage you’ve got on hand will work great. Surprisingly, many varieties of pork sausage these days are really lean. I rarely need to drain any fat off the pan in most cases. A lot of people associate pork sausage with being high in fat. While it’s not the leanest, pork sausage has certainly evolved to be more lean over the years.
Turkey or chicken sausage will provide a lower fat result. Wild game sausage would also be great in this recipe. I’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming on the perfect duck breakfast sausage recipe to use up some of the duck we have leftover in the freezer from hunting season for the specific idea of using in an egg white bake! All the waterfowlers, stay tuned!
Keys to Success
- When this recipe says to generously spray with nonstick spray, it means GENEROUSLY. Don’t skimp on the nonstick spray. Egg whites can be a real pain to scrub off of a pan when the get baked onto the sides and bottom. You’ll thank me for this tip when you aren’t scraping baked bits of egg white off a pan for 15 minutes!
- Strain the cottage cheese and roasted red peppers really well. If you skip this step, your egg white bake will still be delicious, but it will be watery. For the perfect texture and appearance, get as much of the liquid out of the cottage cheese and roasted red peppers as you’re able.
- Don’t over blend the egg whites and cottage cheese. Since this isn’t a soufflé, we don’t need lots of air whipped into the eggs. Just blend until you can barely see the bits of cottage cheese. No more than 20 seconds.
Will this recipe work for egg white bites?
You bet! I prefer a casserole dish simply because I can’t stand the tedious nature of scrubbing out a muffin tin. This recipe will make approximately 24 egg white bites. I’ve said it once above and once in the recipe, make sure to be generous with the non-stick spray.
Roasted Red Pepper + Sausage Egg White Bake
Equipment
- 1 blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 13" x 9" baking dish
- 1 mesh strainer
- 1 large skillet
- 1 Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz container of egg whites
- 1½ cups low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 lbs breakfast sausage
- 1½ cups shredded cheese
- 1 12 oz jar sliced roasted red peppers, drained well
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt I like Lawry's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Once browned, turn off the heat. Drain any excess fat from the pan and set aside.
- Strain the water off of the cottage cheese using the mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to push the curds down to squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Combine strained cottage cheese, the whole carton of egg whites, and salt in the blender and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds.
- Spray the 13" x 9" baking dish generously with nonstick spray and Add the roasted red peppers and cooked breakfast sausage into the bottom of the baking dish, followed by the egg white, cottage cheese mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes, and pull out of the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top, return to the oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the center barely jiggles.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the seasoned salt and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into 12 even squares. Serve with HIH Pantry Ranch, salsa or BBQ sauce.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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