Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Casserole is fluffy, delicious and a perfect make ahead healthy breakfast to start your day right! It combines the best of all worlds, the sweetness of pancakes, the fluffy texture of quinoa bake and the savoriness of an egg casserole.
Table of Contents
- Why Make Sweet Potato Egg Bake?
- Ingredients for Sweet Potato Egg Casserole
- How to Make Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Tips for Best Results
- Common FAQs
- Making Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Casserole Ahead
- More Healthy Breakfast Casseroles
- More Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Casserole Recipe
This sweet potato breakfast casserole is SO tasty and has marshmallow-like fluffy texture of a zucchini quiche. That’s what happens when you mix shredded veggies and eggs! Layers upon layers of creamy sweet potatoes, fluffy eggs, tender spinach and gooey cheese.
It is also every healthy enthusiast’s dream because we all know how hard it is to eat complex carbs, lean protein and not a lot of sugar in the morning. Three food groups, loads of nutrients, and plenty of flavor!
This sweet potato egg bake is simply amazing, serve with healthy morning glory muffins and you will feel on top of the world!
Got butternut squash? You can use entirely butternut squash and turn it into a butternut squash breakfast casserole, ha! Just peel and grate it. Easy-peasy!
Why Make Sweet Potato Egg Bake?
- To save time: Mornings are busy, you can make this casserole ahead of time for a week of healthy breakfasts or Christmas morning.
- It’s year-round breakfast: Sweet potatoes are not only fall-winter food. There is nothing better than grabbing a cold slice of an egg bake on a hot summer day.
- To eat a lot of nutrients in the am: Loaded with nutrients and vitamins, this healthy egg bake contains 1.5 lbs of sweet potatoes and 4-5 cups of baby spinach. When was the last time you had so many vegetables for breakfast?!
- It’s budget-friendly: Sweet potatoes, eggs and cheese are extremely affordable groceries making healthy eating possible for everyone.
- It’s gluten-free and grain-free: Perfect for those following a special diet! Can also be made dairy-free by using a plant based milk.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Egg Casserole
For this sweet potato egg bake, the list of ingredients might seem long. All there is to it eggs, yams, spinach, cheese and spices combined with a bit of milk for your new to-die-for breakfast go-to!
- Sweet potatoes: This recipe calls for grated sweet potatoes. Yams and sweet potatoes are 2 different things, but there seems to be a major confusion in North American grocery stores about them. So, you can use either as they are completely interchangeable in this recipe.
To peel or not to peel “yams”? You don’t have to peel these veggies because skin contains good-for-you vitamins and nutrients and will not be noticeable once shredded. Just wash well with a cloth or scrunchy and shred o na grater. However, you can peel sweet potato if you wish.
- Eggs: 12 large eggs, organic or free range if possible.
- Cheese: Grate some hard sharp cheese like Cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss. I have also used marble or Tex Mex cheese with great results.
- Spinach: It adds bulk to this sweet potato breakfast and a lot of nutrients you wouldn’t consume in the am otherwise.
- Milk: Any dairy or non-dairy milk works to thicken up the egg bake. I like to use almond milk in this dish because it is tasteless and saves a few calories.
- Seasonings: Taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Green onions or cilantro, and jalapenos: For a lot of flavor with almost zero calories.
Here is one of my favorite cooking tips: I clean and mince a few jalapenos at a time. And then freeze for any time I need a tablespoon or two. It saves time and fingers (nose and eyes) from being “on fire”.
How to Make Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
This incredible morning meal includes a few steps but they are all easy and straightforward. There is also a full recipe card below.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, line 9 x 13 casserole dish with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Grate sweet potatoes, cheese and chop other veggies.
Healthier baking tools: I buy unbleached parchment paper because it has not been bleached and harmful chemicals do not end up in our food. Instead of regular cooking spray, I use Misto bottle filled with regular oil – no propellant.
- Whisk: In a large bowl, first add eggs, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then whisk in milk, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
- Mix: Stir in the sweet potatoes and spinach. Mixture will be very thick!
Spinach will wilt under heat, veggies will release liquids and eggs will set – it’s gonna work. Please follow the recipe and do not attempt to add more liquid. A few readers have done so and reported their sweet potato egg casserole did not set.
- Pour: Transfer the sweet potato egg mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and flatten it down.
- Bake: Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees F. At the end, sprinkle more cheese on top and continue to bake until the cheese has melted. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Tips for Best Results
Just like with all my healthy recipes, I always try to use what I have on hand and this overnight breakfast casserole is one of those recipes. Whether you are watching your carb intake or would like to use garden’s bounty, here are a few tips and variations for you:
- Adding meat: Adding turkey sausage or baked bacon is totally optional. If you do, saute sausage in a skillet before adding to the final mixture with sweet potatoes and spinach.
- Other veggies: Kale with stalks removed and chopped will work instead of spinach. You can also add bell peppers and mushrooms, sauteing them prior in a large skillet with a bit of oil or cooking spray.
- Up the protein content: If you would like to make casserole higher in protein, use 6 large eggs and 2 cups egg whites.
- To save a bit of money: If you see organic baby spinach in boxes that is about to expire on sale, buy a few boxes, stick in the freezer and use in this sweet potato egg bake, lentil soup and even spinach dip.
- Make it dairy free: Omit the cheese completely, casserole will still hold together. And use almond milk.
- Sweet potato noodles: Got a box in the fridge and don’t know what to do with them? Use in this recipe. Also squash noodles will work.
- For sharp cheese lovers: I often use Kerrygold Dubliner in this casserole as it adds unbelievable punch of flavor to bland veggies. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite like blue cheese isn’t but I love it so had to share! By the way, it doesn’t freeze well – it crumbles when grating or slicing.
Common FAQs
You can use regular potatoes. Peel, shred and give them a good squeeze as they contain more moisture than sweet potatoes.
You can use store-bought hash browns as well. I would reduce salt to 1/2 tsp and keep in mind casserole will be not as healthy.
1.5 lbs of sweet potatoes equals 3 LARGE sweet potatoes.
I haven’t tested this recipe in the slow cooker but you can loosely follow this slow cooker recipe directions. Please let me know how it comes out.
Making Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Casserole Ahead
This healthy sweet potato breakfast is extremely durable in terms of time. You don’t have to worry about any ingredients to become soggy and can make it ahead of freeze.
Make Ahead: You can assemble the dish the night before. Wrap tightly in plastic, refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning (perfect for all those holidays and brunches).
Freeze: You can freeze the baked casserole for up to 3 months.
If you would like to freeze the casserole, cook it first, cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil on top, and freeze it. You can also slice it in individual servings and freeze them separately. You can choose how many servings you want to defrost at a time – convenient. Freeze either way for up to 3 months. Then thaw it completely in the fridge and reheat in a microwave.
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 5 days.
Enjoy this healthy sweet potato breakfast casserole!
More Healthy Breakfast Casseroles
- Cottage cheese egg bake
- Healthy french toast casserole
- Air fryer breakfast casserole
- Sausage egg bake
More Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes
- Healthy mashed sweet potatoes
- Sweet potato hummus
- Sweet potato pizza crust
- Healthy oven roasted sweet potatoes
- Instant Pot sweet potato casserole
Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes or yams shredded
- 12 large eggs
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning low sodium
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup any milk I used unsweetened almond
- 1 cup sharp hard cheese shredded & divided
- 1/2 cup green onions or cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp jalapenos seeded & minced
- 4 cups baby spinach or kale packed
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, line 9×13 baking dish with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl add eggs, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper; whisk for 30 seconds. Add milk, 2/3 cup cheese, green onions, and jalapenos; whisk to combine.
- Add sweet potatoes and spinach, and stir well to mix. Mixture will be thick, and it might look like it needs more eggs but it doesn’t. Transfer to prepared baking dish, flatten with spatula and bake for 1 hour.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup cheese and bake for a few more minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and cut into 12 squares using long serrated knife. Serve warm (great for holidays) or cold (awesome for meal prep).
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Freeze: Freeze up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: Assemble, cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Bake as per instructions.
- Sweet potatoes: Wash well with a cloth or scrunchy and grate, no need to peel. Yams and sweet potatoes are 2 different things, but are completely interchangeable in this recipe.
- Adding meat: Adding turkey sausage or bacon is totally optional. If you do, saute it in a skillet before adding to the final mixture with sweet potatoes and spinach.
- Other veggies: Kale with stalks removed and chopped will work instead of spinach. You can also add bell peppers and mushrooms, sauteing them prior in a large skillet with a bit of oil or cooking spray.
- Make it dairy free: Omit the cheese completely, casserole will still hold together. And use almond milk.
- Can I use regular potatoes or hashbrowns? You can use regular potatoes. Peel, shred and give them a good squeeze as they contain more moisture than sweet potatoes.
- How many sweet potatoes is in 1.5 lbs? 1.5 lbs of sweet potatoes equals 3 LARGE sweet potatoes.
Overall, I liked this recipe quite a lot, but was not loving the taco flavor and jalapeños. I think I will sub thyme or rosemary next time. Mine also came out too wet, so might cut the milk in half and skip the parchment paper. I think with those changes for my taste it will be 5 starts. Thanks for a recipe with so many veggies for breakfast!
Glad you like it and sure thing, make it your own. If it’s too wet, cook it longer, your oven might run a bit lower or maybe potatoes are more wet. Also let it sit after cooking to solidify.
Hello, do you think it would work to finely chop the sweet potatoes in a food processor instead of shredding them?
Yes. With a shredding disc.
I really liked this. I halved the recipes- 3 eggs and 1/2 cup egg whites. I used 2% milk and parmesan cheese because it was all I had. I will definitely make this again.
So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Would it be ok to use silicone muffin cups instead of a pan?
Yes.
I have two questions. Do you think I could use cottage cheese instead of cheddar? And would egg whites work?
Yes and yes!
Excellent recipe
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mine is a question the sweet potato is it supposed to be first boiled or cooked
Raw. You grate raw sweet potato.
This was a little far from our usual flavor profiles – so my husband & daughter liked (but didn’t love) it. They are crazy – this is terrific! I was happy to finish the leftovers for lunch over the next couple of days!
Can I just cook it in casserole with lid on instead of baking it?
On the stovetop in a casserole baking dish? No. Need some kind of oven type appliance.
We’ve made this several times and greatly enjoy it. It’s a great make-ahead breakfast for the work week. While it’s great as is, we’ve also added chorizo to it, whcih really takes it to another level!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!