Packed full of veggies, protein and healthy fats, this Italian Egg Bake is an easy breakfast anyone can make.
You don’t even need to cook the veggies ahead of time. Just mix, pour and bake!
Plus it just happens to be Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free and Whole30-compliant! But anyone will like this; no one has to know or care it’s healthy when it tastes this good!
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Why this recipe works
Egg bakes are help recipes to have because they can be made so many different ways.
But the basic template is whisking eggs, pouring them into a baking dish with a bunch of veggies, plus any other ingredients you like (meat, cheese, etc.) and then baking them.
You get a silky, almost custard-y texture, plus all the flavors and textures from your add-ins.
Since I’m a little lazy and impatient, I didn’t want to have to pre-cook anything for this healthy egg bake.
So whisked eggs are mixed with frozen, thawed spinach, green onions and tangy, sweet, chewy sun-dried tomatoes. Add a little garlic powder (don’t even have to cook fresh garlic first!), red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper for flavor.
And that’s it! This healthy egg bake is also great to make as part of your meal prep routine – just reheat throughout the week or even enjoy it cold or at room temperature.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- 6-8 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packed in oil, see notes below the recipe)
- 3 scallions green onions/scallions
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (this won’t make the egg bake taste like coconut; see notes)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- olive oil spray or avocado oil spray
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl (I love a glass set like this one)
- a whisk
- a flour sack towel or cheesecloth for draining the frozen spinach (but paper towels will work in a pinch)
- an 8×8″ (2 quart) baking dish
- a thin spatula for serving
How to make this Italian egg bake
Step 1: Heat the oven to 325°.
Step 2: Grease an 8×8″ (or any 2 quart) baking dish.
Step 3: Mix together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
Step 4: Add the 1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes onto a double layer of paper towels and pat dry, then roughly chop. Stir the tomatoes and sliced scallions into the egg mixture.
Step 5: Pile the thawed frozen spinach in the middle of a flour sack towel (or any thin towel), cheesecloth or paper towels. Discard any big stems. Wrap up the spinach like a sack and squeeze as much water out as possible. Just when you think you’ve squeezed out enough, try squeezing out some more.
Step 6: Stir the spinach into the egg mixture, breaking up any clumps so the spinach is evenly distributed through the eggs. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. If the onions or tomatoes are clumping together, use a fork to drag the pieces around the dish to distribute them evenly.
Step 7: Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the eggs look set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes so the eggs can set, then slice and serve.
What to serve with this Italian Egg Bake
You can actually have this healthy breakfast bake for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
Who doesn’t love a good brinner? (Breakfast for dinner, obvi.)
No matter when you serve it, it’s perfect with bacon, sausage, fruit and breakfast potatoes.
If you’re serving this for brunch, this orange avocado salad and this grain-free apple bread would round out the meal nicely.
If you don’t want to cook anything else, this carrot and apple smoothie is a great way to make the meal more filling and also get more fruit and veggies into your diet.
And to make the brunch extra special, try a cocktail like this carrot juice Bloody Mary or this bubbly Limoncello Spritz.
Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Eat cold or bring to room temperature.
Italians often turn leftover egg bakes like this (this is basically a frittata casserole) as a sandwich. So if you have some good (gluten-free) bread laying around, here’s a good way to make your leftovers more interesting (but not Whole30, if that’s an issue).
I wouldn’t recommend freezing any leftovers.
Other recipes you might like:
- Breakfast Casserole
- Sheet Pan Breakfast Hash with Salami
- Everything Bagel Frittata
- Caesar Deviled Eggs
- Crunchy, Chewy No-Bake Breakfast Bars
Italian Egg Bake (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- olive oil spray or avocado oil spray, for greasing the pan
- 8 eggs
- 3 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk (see notes)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to your liking)
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 3 scallions, sliced, white and light green parts only
- 6-8 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°.
- Grease an 8×8" (or any 2 quart) baking dish.
- Mix together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
- Add the ¼ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes onto a double layer of paper towels and pat dry, then roughly chop. Stir the tomatoes and sliced scallions into the egg mixture.
- Pile the thawed frozen spinach in the middle of a flour sack towel (or any thin towel), cheesecloth or paper towels. Discard any big stems. Wrap up the spinach like a sack and squeeze as much water out as possible. Just when you think you've squeezed out enough, try squeezing out some more.
- Stir the spinach into the egg mixture, breaking up any clumps so the spinach is evenly distributed through the eggs. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. If the onions or tomatoes are clumping together, use a fork to drag the pieces around the dish to distribute them evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the eggs look set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let rest for 5 minutes so the eggs can set, then slice and serve.
Jason Robert says
I tried this with a handful of leftover sautéed mushrooms instead of sun-dried tomatoes, and served it with Firelli Italian hot sauce. So good! I love your recipes!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks so much, Jason! I love the idea of using mushrooms. I’ll have to try that next time.
Jennifer Fisher says
I am a big fan of spinach and eggs . . and this was so delicious, especially with that full-fat coconut milk in it, who needs cheese?!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
It’s a classic combo for a reason. 🙂
StaceY Crawford says
This is great for using up leftover spinach & scallions which I always have! Thanks 🙂
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
So glad this is helpful!
ChihYu says
This is the perfect brunch! So elegant and every bite is delicious!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks! It’s a brunch fave around here. 🙂
Sunrita | Spiceitupp says
Perfect recipe for these lockdown days! Just what we need
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks!
Jean Choi says
The spice combo is so fantastic in this. So perfect for weekend brunch!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Exactly! You can make it ahead of time and not worry about it having to be piping hot.