My delicious zucchini egg bake is the perfect high-protein meal or snack for any time of day. This is my take on a frittata—an Italian egg-based, baked dish, similar to a crustless quiche. The beauty of this recipe is it’s highly customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences and it cooks in the oven (hands-free)!
Here I use a base of grated fresh zucchini and eggs. A bit of cottage cheese adds richness, increased protein, and creaminess; don’t worry, you won’t be able to pick up on the flavor or texture of the cottage cheese in the baked dish. Grated cheese helps bind the dish and you can use any cheese you like: cheddar, mozzarella Swiss, or Parmesan to name a few. I add a few slices of thinly sliced mortadella, but you can omit the meat, or add any thinly sliced cold cut of your choice.
This recipe is a great way to use up small bits in your fridge: the last hunk of cheese, a few slices deli meat, some wilting herbs. Serve this warm or room temp for breakfast, a snack, or a light lunch or dinner. This is perfect alongside a simple salad or sliced and sandwiched between toast or English muffins.
Zucchini Egg Bake
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup cottage cheese (100 grams)
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini (350 grams)
- ½ cup diced mortadella (about 4 slices) or any deli meat of choice
- 1 cup grated cheese of choice (75 grams) I used Kashkaval cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (20 grams) (oat flour if gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (3 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
- In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Add the cottage cheese, pinch of salt, and mix well.
- Transfer the grated zucchini to a cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, or just your clean hands and squeeze out the excess moisture. Add the zucchini to the eggs, along with the diced mortadella. Add the grated cheese, flour, and baking powder, and mix well.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper and pour in the egg mixture.
- Spread the mixture out evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set (the eggs should not jiggle). A skewer/fork/toothpick should come out clean once inserted.
- Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, slice, and enjoy!
15 Responses
As we head into the zucchini coming out of the garden, it’s always great to have another recipe for them. Made this today and it was delicious. Light and fluffy. Easy to whip up. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
I love to hear that! Thanks Heather!
This is a delightful recipe. The eggs were light and fluffy and I can imagine many options for ingredients.
Because it is summer, I have a lot of basil in my garden so I added it. I used Canadian bacon and Jarlsburg cheese and they were delicious. This will be a permanent addition to my recipe file.
Thank you!
Sounds delicious!
Everyone loved this!
So happy to hear that Mandi!
Does this recipe freeze well for breakfast sandwiches
I haven’t tried freezing it yet but it should 🙂 If you try, please let me know
Made this for the week. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Thank you for this wonderful comment, Christina!
I’ve made this twice in one week. First time with zucchini and second time with broccoli. Also tried different grated cheeses. I’m obsessed. So delicious.
So happy to hear this Ana! They are addictive!
Made this today for the first time and we all loved it. Easy and delicious. I would never have thought to use mortadella but it was an great addition. I now find myself wondering how i will make this next. Spinach and feta? Broccoli and cheddar?? Endless options 🙂
Excellent recipe…great for workday breakfast! I found it freezes well too !
So happy you enjoyed this, Diane! Thanks for letting us know it freezes well — love that!