Best Low-Carb Breakfast Casserole

Do you know you can make a very satisfying egg bake or breakfast casserole without the bread and potatoes? If you thought these traditional comfort foods we’re not allowed on your recommended food list, think again. This Low Carb Breakfast Casserole recipe has all the goodness of the traditional recipes but without all the carbs.

When you decide to start following a low carb ketogenic diet, there’ll be certain foods that you miss. Sometimes you learn to eat different foods, but sometimes the missing foods are such a part of your traditions that you find it challenging to give up. I missed my egg casseroles. It was traditional at every holiday brunch and church potluck. Every recipe I knew called for bread and potatoes, which were now off-limits on my low-carb diet

For a couple of years after my T2 diabetes diagnosis in 2015, I avoided the whole egg casserole issue and instead ate plain eggs and meat when faced with a breakfast meal.

Eventually, that got boring, and I decided to start experimenting. Recipes call for mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. Why could they not be used in an egg bake?

There is no reason as long as you follow these directions (yes, there are a couple of tips that make this recipe work).

How to Make Low-Carb Breakfast Casserole

This recipe calls for 1 pound of bacon. Feel free to substitute 1 pound of bulk breakfast sausage instead if you prefer. Whether you choose bacon or sausage, choose one that does not have added sugar.

Also, feel free to add onions or other vegetables. Just make sure that you adjust the nutritional information accordingly, and if you are using a crunchy vegetable (like broccoli), precook it like the cauliflower.

Prep for Your Low-Carb Breakfast Casserole

We will begin by preparing all of the ingredients.

If using a full head of cauliflower, chop it into small pieces. See attached photographs as reference for size. You do want the pieces relatively small, as it will affect the final texture and flavor of your low-carb breakfast casserole.

Cut the bacon into small pieces as if you were making bacon crumbles. Again, see the attached photos for reference.
And, lastly, chop the fresh spinach.

Cooking and Assembly of your Low-Carb Breakfast Casseroler

Begin by sauteing the bacon in a large frying pan or wok until it is nearly crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, crack all of the eggs into a mixing bowl or blender container. Add the heavy whipping cream to the eggs. Mix or blend well.

After cooking the bacon, drain the bacon grease into a heatproof container and transfer the bacon to a lightly greased casserole dish or baking dish. Set the bacon grease aside to use later.

Add two tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease plus the butter into the same pan. Add the cauliflower to the pan and sauté over medium to medium-high heat until the cauliflower turns translucent. You wanted at a stage where it is starting to soften but not overly cooked to where it is mushy.

After sauteing the cauliflower, add it along with the spinach, the egg and cream mixture, and the shredded cheese to the casserole dish with the bacon. Mix well.

Cover your baking dish with either a matching cover or foil. Bake for 30 minutes, covered, in a preheated 350-degree oven. After 30 minutes, remove the cover and bake another 20 minutes.

This recipe does make about 12 servings. If you’re not making it for a gathering, it does freeze and reheat well. Alternatively, it also works well to bake it in lined muffin tins.