Easy Spinach And Feta Egg Bake: A Holiday Brunch Tradition
Today I’m sharing our traditional Christmas Brunch recipe: Spinach and Feta Egg Bake. But before we get to that, can we just talk about cookies for a minute?
Have I mentioned that I love cookies? Homemade cookies, specifically. But a really good Italian bakery cookie will do the trick too. That one reason that December is my [second] favorite month of the year. So many Christmas cookies.
You cannot live on cookies alone
Once, when I was a kid, my mom said, “You can’t live on Christmas cookies alone.” (Although, ironically, despite this proclamation, our Christmas morning breakfast was in fact, Christmas cookies). But Never met a challenge I didn’t rise to, and so I set out to prove her wrong. Which I did, on many occasions. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, cookies just seemed like the best option. Well, maybe I had a cupcake or piece of nut bread, but mostly it was cookies.
Occasionally, I still find myself falling into this pattern during the holidays. It’s usually (but not always) one of my marathon baking days. I can be pretty single-minded and I don’t think too much about other food when I’m baking. But I do have to taste-test. So there’s a nibble here and a nibble there. And then I can never pass up my favorites fresh from the oven. So those days I eat a lot of cookies.
But sometimes it’s just because cookies are calling my name. And cookies were the only thing I really wanted to eat.
A few years ago, I never would have admitted this in public. I strove to be, or least appear but mostly be, “healthy” in my food choices. Cookies were an indulgence saved only for special occasions. And then certainly limited to just one or two.
But as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that “heathy eating” is just another name for diet culture, fat phobia, perfectionism, the patriarchy . . . I could go on. I mean what does “healthy eating” even mean?
So many food rules
This is something I’m going to explore more in the New Year because I have wasted so much of life thinking about food–from how many calories does that lemonade have and is that slice of bread “worth it” to what type f flour/oil/sweetener is the “best” and how many miles do I have to run to burn this off. Of course, I’ve also had to think about food from the allergy context too, which while much more reasonable and necessary is still a huge mental burden. One that I will never be able to give up.
So, instead I’ve working hard to challenge all the “rules” about eating that I’ve internalized over my life. I was a child of the 80’s. I was born and bred into diet culture. All of the woman I admired in my life were always aspiring to be thinner. So of course I too learned to equate my worth by my weight. It’s a hard narrative to break.
Now as I stare down a very momentous birthday, I’m finally ready to break free from constantly obsessing about food. At lest I’m ready to try. And you know what they say, wanting to change is the first step toward change.
But it’s still the Christmas season. And my cousin is coming out on Sunday so we can bake even more cookies. So for now, I’m not going worry about food rules or the damage they are causing to society. I’m just going to eat all the cookies, sans guilt, and be proud that I’ve surrounded my family with so many allergy-friendly options.
But, because I also learned that mom was right and I women can’t live on Christmas cookies alone, I’ve also got a great brunch option for you today. This Spinach and Feta Egg Bake is an easy, delicious, protein-packed to power you through early morning, late nights and lots of extras during December, As much as I love cookies, they don’t give me the energy I need t make it through the holidays.
Spinach and Feta Egg Bake
Spinach and Feta Egg Bake is part of our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. I whip it all up the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning, You can even bake it ahead and just heat it up in the morning. This egg bake is crustless, so it is almost more reminiscent of an omelette than a quiche. (Nothing wrong with quiche, I’m just too lazy to make a crust for my eggs.) And don’t be afraid of the cottage cheese in the recipe. It melts into the eggs to give them a light and fluffy texture. You’d never know it was in there.
As worthy as this Spinach and Feta Egg Bake is for a holiday meal, it need not be reserved for Christmas morning. I make this at least once a month, usually for dinner. (We don’t often have big breakfasts at home). And then we have leftovers for lunch all week long.
Easy Spinach and Feta Egg Bake
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 9 X 13 pan
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion poder
- 1 tsp salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 packages of frozen spinach thawed and drained
- 8 oz. feta cheese
- Baking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl beat 12 eggs until whipped.
- Add 1/2 cup milk and 2 cups cottage cheese and mix again until light and creamy.
- Add 1/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and fresh ground pepper and beat until combined.
- Stir in defrosted and drained spinach and feta cheese.
- Spray 9 X 13 pan with baking spray.
- Pour egg mixture into pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes until eggs are set and top is lightly browned.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
This dish can be prepared ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. Take out of the fridge and bring to room temperature (about 45 minutes) before baking.
You can swap the cottage cheese for ricotta cheese for a thicker, richer dish.
I hope you enjoy this Spinach and Feta Egg Bake!! And lots of Christmas cookies too!
Speaking of Christmas cookies . . . You can grab my FREE Nut Free Cookie Guide for seven delicious, totally nut-free recipes.
Off we go!
