Egg Bakes for Beginners

Whether it’s a quiche or a casserole, a frittata or a strata, egg bakes are my go-to when it comes to feeding a crowd. While I apreciate their versatility, I also love that most egg bakes can be prepared ahead of time, making them ideal for busy holiday mornings. Today, it’s my pleasure to share three new recipes and ideas for quiche, frittata and a classic bread-based egg bake, made over in miniature form.

Appropriate to serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner, a quiche is made with a custard made of milk (or cream) and eggs that’ve been poured into a pie crust and baked. The options for quiche fillings are nearly endless! Feel free to mix and match your favorite fillings, using these measurements as guidelines for a 9-inch pie crust: 1 1/2- 2 cups of cooked vegetables and/or fresh herbs, ½-1 cup of cooked meat or sausage and ½-1 cup cheese. Need some inspiration? Here are some delicious combinations to try!

• For a Tex-Mex Quiche, use 1 cup cooked chorizo sausage, 1 cup roasted peppers and tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese. 
• To make a classic Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Quiche, use 1 cup smoked salmon, 1 1/2 cups cooked asparagus spears, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or chives and 1 cup cubed cream cheese.
• For a vegetarian Mushroom and Kale Quiche, use 1 1/2 cups cooked, sliced mushrooms and 2 cups fresh steamed or roasted kale and 1 cup grated Swiss cheese.

Feeling nervous about not following an exact recipe? This Greek Vegetable Quiche is a great place to start, with frozen chopped spinach, Kalamata olives, feta cheese and loads of fresh herbs.

A frittata is crust-less quiche with Italian roots. I’ve long been a fan of the frittata because they are quick to prepare, and there are so many possibilities for flavor profiles. The vegetables and cheeses that you choose for your frittata can (and should!) change with the seasons. Using the same preparation as in this recipe, here are some seasonal twists you may want to try.

• In spring, try 1 1/2 cups of asparagus, 1 1/2 cups diced new potatoes, 3 cups spinach and 1 cup chèvre.
• To celebrate the bounty of summer, use 3 cups roasted summer vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and zucchini with a zesty pepper jack cheese.
• In the fall and winter, roasted squash can be swapped in in place of the sweet potatoes and taste delicious combined with 3 cups diced russet potatoes, 1/2 caramelized onions, 1 1/2 cup cooked sausage crumbles and 1 1/2 cups smoked Gouda cheese.

Since we can never eat enough good-for-us super foods like kale and sweet potatoes, this combination is my latest favorite.

Folks in your family have way different tastes? These fun Muffin-Tin Egg Bakes are perfect for you! Simply set out the different fillings—sliced baguette, cheeses, diced or crumbled cooked meats, various veggies—a muffin pan, your egg-milk mixture and let each person make their own unique mini egg bake. To ensure you know which bake belongs to who, make a map of the pan on a piece of paper using folks’ initials in each circle, or color code toothpicks and stick in each muffin cup so that everyone knows which creation is theirs.