My boys and I enjoy having breakfast for dinner. I’ll occasionally whip up pancakes or waffles in the evening, but mostly I adore quiches and breakfast casseroles at dinner time. Of course they are great for weekend brunch, too, when you have a little extra time to prepare in the morning. I like to load them up with whatever seasonal vegetables we have on hand, and use low-fat cheeses and cottage cheese for a protein boost. And as for a family meal, it hardly gets any easier as the kids can help prepare the vegetables, or mix the eggs and cheese; older children could even make this dish on their own with some supervision.
When listing vegetable sizes in a recipes, it can seem rather vague. What’s the difference between small, medium, and large? I teach our boys using balls as a comparison measurement. Small onions, tomatoes, peppers, apples, potatoes, etcetera are about the size of a tennis ball or smaller. Medium will be about the size of a baseball, and large is about the size of a softball. Of course this is all approximate and weight is a much more accurate measure, but estimating is a valuable skill for kids to learn, whether at home or school.
Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids, and check out the rest of our Kids Cook Monday recipes below.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe calls for about double the cheddar, but we think the texture is fine with less cheese on top. I also substituted Feta cheese for the Monterrey Jack, as I like the tang of Feta in quiches and casseroles. The spinach and onion was my idea, which I think makes a nice base for crustless quiches. Remember to drain off any liquids before putting vegetables in the casserole dish, otherwise the quiche will turn out runny. The spinach and zucchini will be the most likely culprits.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small red onion, cut in half vertically and thinly sliced
- 6 ounces (170 g) fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
- 2 cups diced red potatoes or sweet potatoes, about 3 to 4 medium
- 1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped
- 8 ounces (226 g) sliced mushrooms
- 9 large eggs, whisked
- 1-1/2 (228 g) cups crumbled Feta cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat milk
- 16 ounces (454 g) carton low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup (20 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup (85 g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the nonstick skillet, then sauté the red onion over medium heat. Add all the spinach and cover with the lid. Allow to sweat until the spinach starts to shrink, about 5 minutes, then uncover and stir. Continue stirring until the spinach is all softened and limp, about 3 more minutes. Drain off any liquid and transfer the spinach mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet, and add the potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat until all the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
- In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Feta cheese, milk, cottage cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir in the potato and zucchini mixture. Pour over the spinach in the casserole dish. Sprinkle sharp cheddar cheese all over the top, then lay the tomato slices on top of the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F/175° C and continue baking until the casserole is lightly browned and just set, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes or so, then serve.
large nonstick skillet with lid
3-quart casserole dish, lightly coated with cooking spray
large mixing bowl
Recipe Notes
Remember to drain off any liquids before putting vegetables in the casserole dish, otherwise the quiche will turn out runny. The spinach and zucchini will be the most likely culprits.
More Kids Cook Monday Recipes
For the complete list of The Kids Cook Monday recipes, visit my Cooking with Kids page.
More Breakfast Casserole and Quiche Recipes From Other Blogs
- Cook Eat Live Vegetarian – Courgette, Leek & Courgette Flower Quiche with Goat’s Ricotta & Parsley
- Cooking on the Side – Crab, Scallion, and Tomato Quiche
- The Little Ferraro Kitchen – Vegetable and Pancetta Quiche with Potato Crust
- Kalyn’s Kitchen – Roasted Green Bell Pepper and Roasted Tomato Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Oregano
Mushrooms Canada says
August 9, 2013 at 1:22 pmOh I love having breakfast any time of day! This is a wonderful casserole recipe that I’ll be sure to try soon. Thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
Christine says
August 13, 2013 at 4:30 pmHi! I am planning to make this recipe for a welcome back teacher breakfast. Do you think it could be assembled the night before and cooked the next morning? Thanks!
Andrea says
August 14, 2013 at 2:30 pmHi Christine. Yes, you can make all the parts and assemble it the night before. Leave off the tomatoes until just before baking, otherwise the juices will run everywhere, and allow the assembled casserole to rest on the counter while the oven heats.
Wendy says
September 24, 2013 at 7:35 pmI just made this for dinner-it was delicious!
Andrea says
September 24, 2013 at 7:44 pmThanks Wendy! We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Nina says
May 6, 2014 at 4:50 pmIs there something I can substitute for the cottage cheese? Perhaps more eggs?
Andrea says
May 6, 2014 at 4:52 pmYes, you can use more eggs. We just like the light texture the cottage cheese adds.
Georgia Leon says
December 9, 2014 at 9:45 amohhh ! I can’t help myself but to say this.. everything really look so YUMMY!.. I will try to cook that cheese casserole.. thanks for sharing the recipes! this website is Perfect!