Sheet Pan Eggs with Cottage Cheese
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Whisk 12 eggs with 1 cup cottage cheese, milk, salt and pepper, pour into an oiled rimmed sheet pan, scatter bell peppers, onion, spinach and cheddar over the top and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes until just set. The pan carries roughly 110 g of protein from label values, about 14 g per serving across 8 servings. Check your egg and dairy labels for your exact numbers.
Sheet pan eggs with cottage cheese are the easiest way to put a hot, high protein breakfast on the table for a crowd. A dozen eggs whisked with cottage cheese pour into one pan, a rainbow of vegetables and a blanket of cheddar go over the top, and 25 minutes later you are slicing fluffy squares that feed eight. It is part frittata, part meal prep hero, and entirely hands off once it hits the oven.
Why you’ll love it
- Feeds 8 from a single pan with about 15 minutes of prep.
- About 14 g of protein per serving from label values.
- One pan to wash, no standing over the stove flipping anything.
- Endlessly flexible with whatever vegetables are in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for easy weekday breakfasts.
Ingredient notes
Eggs: a full dozen is the base. Large eggs are the standard here, and they bring most of the protein along with the structure.
Cottage cheese: whisked right into the eggs, it melts in and keeps the bake custardy instead of dry. Low fat works perfectly, no need for full fat.
Vegetables: bell peppers, red onion and spinach are the classic trio, colorful and quick cooking. Chop everything small so it cooks through in the same time as the eggs.
Cheddar: half a cup over the top for a golden, savory finish. It adds about 14 g of protein to the whole pan from label values, so it earns its place.
The low and slow bake rule that keeps them fluffy
One rule decides this pan: bake low and pull early. 350°F cooks the eggs gently and evenly from edge to center, while a hotter oven browns the edges long before the middle sets. And the pan is done when the center still trembles just slightly, not when it looks fully firm. That last bit of jiggle disappears during the 5 minute rest as carryover heat finishes the job. Wait for a fully firm center in the oven and you will get rubbery squares. Trust the jiggle, rest the pan, and the eggs slice clean and eat fluffy.
Variations
- Southwest: swap the vegetables for black beans, corn and diced tomatoes, use pepper jack instead of cheddar and serve with salsa and avocado.
- Mediterranean: use feta instead of cheddar, with sun dried tomatoes, chopped olives and fresh dill.
- Meat lover: add cooked crumbled sausage or diced ham with the vegetables for an even heartier pan.
- Mushroom and Swiss: swap in sliced mushrooms and shredded Swiss, with a pinch of thyme for a cozy, savory version.
What we learned testing it
- Blending the cottage cheese smooth beat whisking it in whole. The blended version baked into a custardy, even set, while the whisked in curds stayed visible as white pockets, though they melted in fine.
- Baking at 350°F beat 375°F. The hotter oven browned the edges before the center set, while 350°F cooked the whole pan evenly edge to center.
- Cheddar beat no cheese for richness. The cheese version tasted rounder and more satisfying, and it added about 14 g of protein to the whole pan from label values.
Read how we test recipes.
Sheet Pan Eggs with Cottage Cheese
Makes 1 sheet pan (8 servings) · 45 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Rimmed half sheet pan (18 by 13 in) · Large mixing bowl · Whisk · Cutting board and knife
Instructions
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Whisk the eggs and cottage cheese
Heat the oven to 350°F and brush the sheet pan generously with olive oil, getting into the corners. Whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl until the mixture looks mostly uniform. Small bits of cottage cheese curd are fine, they melt right in.
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Scatter the veggies and cheese
Pour the egg mixture into the oiled pan. Scatter the bell peppers, red onion and spinach evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the cheddar. Try to keep the toppings in an even layer so every square gets a bit of everything.
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Bake until just set
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is just set with only the slightest jiggle. The eggs will look a touch underdone in the very middle, and that is exactly right, since they finish cooking as they rest.
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Rest, slice and serve
Rest the pan on the counter for 5 minutes so the eggs finish setting and slice cleanly. Cut into 8 squares and serve warm, straight from the pan or plated with hot sauce and extra cheese for the table.
Notes
- Oil the corners well. The number one sticking point on a sheet pan bake is the corners, and a generous brush of oil there saves the whole pan.
- Chop the vegetables small and even. Big chunks sink or cook unevenly, while small pieces stay suspended and cook through in the same time as the eggs.
- Do not overbake. Eggs keep cooking from residual heat, so pulling the pan with a slight jiggle in the center is the difference between fluffy and rubbery.
- Serve it straight from the pan for a crowd. It looks abundant and rustic, and there is one less dish to wash.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Cheddar cheese
- Use pepper jack for heat, feta for tang or mozzarella for stretch. Any shredded melting cheese works in the same amount.
- Bell peppers, onion and spinach
- Use any quick cooking vegetables you have: mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes or broccoli florets. Keep the total to about 2 1/2 cups so the eggs still set properly.
- Milk
- Use half and half for a richer set, or skip it and add 1/4 cup more cottage cheese. The bake works either way.
Storage and make-ahead
Cool completely, then refrigerate squares in a covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat individual squares in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds or in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through. These also freeze well: wrap squares individually and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add meat to these sheet pan eggs?
Yes. Add about 1 cup of cooked crumbled sausage, diced ham or cooked bacon with the vegetables. Make sure any meat is fully cooked before it goes into the pan, since the bake time will not cook raw meat through.
How do I keep the eggs from turning rubbery?
Pull the pan when the center still has the slightest jiggle and let it rest 5 minutes. Carryover heat finishes the cooking gently. Overbaking is the only thing that makes sheet pan eggs rubbery.
Can I prep this the night before?
Yes. Whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pour into the oiled pan, add the vegetables and cheese and bake as written, adding about 5 minutes to the bake time.
How much protein is in one serving?
These are estimates from label values, not lab tested numbers, and they vary by brand. The pan carries roughly 110 g of protein in total, about 14 g per serving across 8 servings, mostly from the eggs, cottage cheese and cheddar. Check your egg and dairy labels for your exact numbers.
What size pan do I need?
A standard rimmed half sheet pan, 18 by 13 inches, gives thin, evenly cooked squares. A 9 by 13 inch baking dish also works, but the eggs will be thicker, so add 5 to 8 minutes to the bake time.
