An easy, flavorful make-ahead breakfast bake stuffed with everything bagels, NestFresh eggs, veggies, and chunks of cream cheese.
I love everything bagels. They’ve always been my go-to choice when I eat bagels so I’m not sure why it took someone so long to bottle up the spice mixture but I’m sure glad they did! So, let’s all lend a giant thank you to Trader Joe’s for bottling it and marketing the heck out of their Everything But the Bagel seasoning because now we can find it everywhere and most stores have their own version of it which inspired this breakfast bake.
Everything Bagels Everywhere
My breakfast bake stars my favorite Everything But the Bagel spice that’s not only added as a key seasoning to the dish but also makes an appearance in the form of actual everything bagels. Traditional breakfast bakes use day-old bread as a base so swapping in bagels is an easy substitution that lends major flavor. If you don’t have day-old bagels, then cut your fresh bagels in half and let them ‘dry-out’ in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F making them crusty and ready to use in the breakfast bake.
I chose Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels as my base for this bake because I love the quality organic ingredients (plus there’s no high-fructose corn syrup!), the extra boost of protein in the bagels due to the variety of grains (13 grams compared to the average 7-8 grams), and Dave’s everything bagel topping which includes both flax and chia seeds. And, because you can’t have a bagel without cream cheese, I also incorporated dollops of cream cheese on the top of the bake that extends the everything bagel flavor.
Egg-cellent Eggs
The bagels get cozy in the casserole NestFresh eggs and milk, spices and veggies that form a rich, thick, eggy custard. I choose NestFresh eggs due to their certified humane status for producing cage-free and free-range eggs. This means I can feel good about the breakfast I’m eating knowing the eggs came from chickens who were raised in a natural environment with the ability to ‘stretch their legs’ and have access to proper food and water. If you aren’t familiar with egg production practices, visit the NestFresh site to get egg-ducated.
Get Creative with the Ingredients
I filled my Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake with my favorite veggies using onions, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and green onions. I also added crumbled, lean turkey sausage for a protein boost but the best part about the bake is you can really get creative and make it your own. Here’s a few easy variations on my bake:
- Add a cup of cooked, chopped spinach for extra greens
- Use both red and green bell peppers for added crunch
- Throw in some herbs like basil or dill for a punch of fresh flavor
- Grate some smoked gouda or spicy jalapeno cheddar cheese for a simple smoke or spice
Prep the Night Before
While you can make this bake the morning-of, you can also prep this Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake the day before (bagels, eggs, veggies and all!). Just cover it and let it sit in the fridge overnight which makes this a perfect breakfast for Christmas or New Year’s morning or as a meal prep breakfast to eat all week long. I actually prefer the overnight method since it lets the flavors develop a bit more and it makes breakfast quick in the morning with minimal cleanup. To bake it the morning-of, just let the bake sit out for about 30-minutes before placing it in the oven to bake.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Not My Daddy’s French Toast – Streusel Topped Overnight French Toast Bake
- Harvest Hash with Sweet Potatoes & Sprouts: A Breakfast Inspired by Picnik Austin
- My Favorite Summertime Breakfast: Turkish Eggs with Yogurt
- Autumn Morning Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts
While this post was not sponsored, I did receive products from NestFresh with no obligation to post about it. All photos and opinions are my own.
- 4 day-old everything bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 6-7 cups)
- 9 eggs
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, sliced
- ¼ cup green onion, green parts only
- 1 cup cooked crumbled breakfast sausage of choice
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan using a bit of butter or olive oil. Place the torn bagel pieces into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- In a small skillet, add ½ teaspoon of olive oil and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add in the white onions and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool while prepping the remaining ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Fold in the cooked white onion, cheese, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, green onions, and breakfast sausage.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bagel pieces then dollop the cream cheese cubes on top. Sprinkle the Everything Bagel seasoning on top.*
- Bake for 30-minutes. After 30-minutes, place a sheet of foil over the pan to keep the top from burning and cook another 20 minutes until the eggs are set.
- Remove from oven and allow the bake to cool for 10-minutes prior to serving.
