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This Green Chile Egg Casserole is creamy, cheesy, and so easy to make! Mildly spiced, uniquely flavored, and high in protein, this simple egg casserole makes a great addition to any brunch menu.
I fell in love with this Green Chile Egg Casserole at my baby shower 17+ years ago. I immediately asked for the recipe and have been making it ever since. It is creamy, cheesy, and SO exceptionally good thanks to slightly spicy green chiles.
Green Chile Egg Casserole at a Glance
- Serves: 8
- Time Needed: 15-minute prep + 45-minute bake
- Best For: Entertaining, holiday brunches, high-protein breakfasts, or light vegetarian dinners
- What Makes This Recipe Stand Out: Buttery onions and mild green chiles add savory richness to the egg bake, while the cottage cheese creates a creamy, high-protein base.
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Keys for Egg Casserole with Green Chiles
Before we jump into how to make this Green Chile Casserole, let's start with a few important tips to ensure a flavorful, creamy egg casserole.
- Don't skip the sauté! Taking a few minutes to soften the onions and green chiles in melted butter sets this recipe apart in the best way. They become buttery and tender, creating a rich base.
- Use mild green chilies. Be sure to purchase mild, not hot green chiles, or your egg casserole will be overly spicy.
- Bake until slightly wobbly. Just like when making Quiche Lorraine or Mediterranean Frittata, bake this green chile egg casserole until the center is just set, with a slight wobble. Overbaking will take the eggs from creamy and fluffy to rubbery.
- Don't doubt the cottage cheese. The cottage cheese melts right into the egg mixture, adding protein, moisture, and savory flavor without making the casserole taste like cottage cheese, just as it does in my Crustless Zucchini Pie.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Green Chiles: Use canned mild green chiles. I typically find them sold in 4-ounce cans in the international section of the grocery store by salsas.
- Onion: I like the bite of yellow onion, but white or sweet onion will also work.
- Flour + Baking Powder: Helps the egg bake, puff up, and set a bit, making the casserole sliceable.
- Cottage Cheese: Use full-fat cottage cheese. Fat-free cottage cheese and many reduced-fat cottage cheese brands contain added stabilizers and ingredients that don't hold up well to baking and have an off-putting taste.
- Colby Jack Cheese: For the smoothest melt, grate the cheese from a block rather than using bagged shredded cheese that is coated in anti-caking agents. Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar is also a great option.
- Milk: Just a bit to thin out the batter. Use cream, half-and-half, or any milk fat percentage you have on hand.
- Seasoned Salt: If you have homemade seasoned salt on hand, I highly recommend using it in place of regular salt. It adds additional flavor with onion and garlic powder. If you don't have it, kosher salt will work.
How to Make Green Chile Egg Casserole
One of the many reasons I love this Green Chile Egg Casserole is how easy it is to make. And while you will find detailed instructions in the recipe card, this step-by-step section is designed to help you achieve perfect results.
- Sauté Onions and Green Chiles. Melt butter in a medium skillet, then add the minced onion and diced green chiles. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are just softened.
- Whisk Milk with Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl or blender, whisk together the milk, flour, and baking powder until completely smooth and incorporated. This ensures the dry ingredients are fully dissolved, giving your egg casserole a smooth texture.
- Combine Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour mixture, sauteed onions and green chiles, cottage cheese, seasoned salt, and shredded cheese until well incorporated.
- Bake. Pour the egg mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake until the casserole is set, slightly browned, and puffy.
- Serve. Serve this Green Chile Egg Casserole warm or at room temperature. And while delicious as is, I love topping with sour cream, diced tomatoes, and cilantro to complement the Tex-Mex flavors.
Serving Suggestions
This Green Chile Egg Casserole is an obvious addition to a holiday brunch, like Easter Brunch or Christmas breakfast, or for entertaining, but it is also well-suited to serving as a weekday breakfast or a light vegetarian entrée.
- Meal-Prep for Weekday Breakfasts: Bake and enjoy reheated throughout the week. I love using it as a flavorful egg base for my Copycat Egg McMuffins. And I never forget serving with a Homemade Latte.
- For a Brunch to Impress: Serve alongside a Sour Cream Coffee Cake or Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake) and a Honey Lime Fruit Salad. Go all out and add Bellinis to the menu.
- As a Light Entree: Pair with a light salad, such as a Strawberry Spinach Salad or BLT salad.
Make Ahead Directions
This Green Chile Egg Casserole is a make-ahead breakfast recipe perfect for entertaining. It can be made in advance using one of the following two methods:
- Assemble up to Baking: Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the unbaked casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed.
- Bake and Reheat: Prepare and bake the casserole as directed. Once baked, let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Before serving, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 20-25 minutes just to take the chill off.
More Favorite Breakfast Casseroles
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Green Chile Egg Casserole
Mildly spiced, uniquely flavored, and high in protein, this simple Green Chile egg casserole is creamy, cheesy, and suited to breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small yellow onion, minced
- 4.5 ounces canned mild chopped green chiles
- ½ cup milk, or cream
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat is best
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃) and lightly butter a 9x13 pan casserole dish.
- In a small sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the minced onions and green chiles and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are softened. Set mixture aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon baking powder until completely smooth and incorporated.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk 10 large eggs with 1 teaspoon seasoned salt , 1 cup cottage cheese, and 1 cup Colby Jack cheese (shredded). Add in the sauteed chile mixture and flour mixture. Be sure to whisk until all is well incorporated.
- Pour the egg mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 40-45 minutes or until eggs puff up, the edges are set, and the center is every so slightly wobbly.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Note on Cheese: Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Swiss, or Cheddar Cheese all work well in this casserole, but keep in mind that for the smoothest melt, grate the cheese from a block rather than using pre-grated cheese.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
No Seasoned Salt? Use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or simply use ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
Halving Recipe: Cut the ingredients in half and bake in an 8x8 greased baking dish for 35-40 minutes.
Make-Ahead Instructions:Prepare up to baking, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the unbaked casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed.
Storage: Store leftover egg casserole tightly covered in the baking dish (or transfer to airtight container) and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on a heat-safe plate in the microwave as desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 14gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 596mgPotassium: 206mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 610IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 1.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this for supper tonight and it was delicious! Even my picky eaters liked it. Thank you for sharing your great recipes.
I am so happy to hear your family enjoyed Beth!
Great brunch idea! Love the addition of green chile, so much flavor.
This was the perfect brunch casserole! The green chiles add so much flavor and the cottage cheese helps make the texture so creamy and fluffy. I added in leftover rotisserie chicken and some fire roasted tomatoes and it tasted amazing!
What delicious additions Taylor! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Kristen, i,m going to make this, but I need to double it. Will it fit in one disposable foil pan and do I need to adjust the baking time?
Hi CT! You can certainly double this casserole, but I would recommend using 2 regular-sized 9x13 pans (disposable is fine). That way it will fit and cook evenly.
Can you freeze this? Should it be baked before or after freezing?
Hi Kerianne, I would freeze after baking. To freeze this Egg Casserole,bake and cool before freezing in a freezer safe pan (like a foil disposable pan). Wrap well in foil and freeze. Defrost in fridge night before planning to eat and then cook for 30 minutes at 350 or until warmed through.
Perfect for guests, especially when you have a mix of vegetarians and carnivores. Everyone loves this casserole and its super filling with all that protein!
Yes Sandra! My meat eaters love this dish as well--and yet perfect for my vegetarian daughter 🙂
This was the perfect recipe for our weekend brunch! I will definitely be making this again!
I am so glad you enjoyed Tayler!