This recipe for make-ahead overnight scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese is a great way to have a delicious protein-rich breakfast ready when you want. It is also a great weekend travel food option!
**UPDATE: if you've made these and have gotten soggy eggs, I'm sorry! It took me a bit to figure out what was going on with them, but I've got the update for you below.**
It's here! After talking about this wonderful make ahead egg dish whenever I mention our family's Christmas brunch menu of eggs, Make Ahead Peppered Maple-Mustard Bacon and Make Ahead Real Food Monkey Bread, I finally got a chance to photograph it and publish it for you.
What makes these different (and better, in my opinion) from many other make-ahead egg dishes is that there is no bread-carb ingredient, just eggs, sour cream, cheese, and spinach. So we can feel free to add our favorite scone, coffee cake, or muffin. Yes.
And while I really don't make the bacon or monkey bread at other times of the year (or if I do, it's just once) these eggs are so yummy and easy I find that I make them often - any time it would be nice to have eggs ready to go in the morning, for guests, or busy Saturdays, or travel.
How to Make Ahead & Take on Trips
Yep, travel. I especially like to make these before heading to places where we'll be cooking for a weekend getaway - places that usually don't have nice pans to make scrambled eggs with (think: old, flaking non-stick pans or tiny skillets).
Simply put the prepared eggs (at the stage you'll refrigerate them) in one or two gallon zip top baggies (or leak-proof container). Put the shredded cheese in another bag or container. In the morning, spread them in a 13x9 pan and bake.
SO easy - I do have to say it was brilliant the first time I did this! So nice to not have to stumble around an unfamiliar kitchen the first morning after arriving somewhere.
For smaller gatherings like our family Christmas brunch, I love to place the eggs in individual ramekins instead of a single baking dish. It looks special and is much easier to serve up - just place one on everybody's plate.
The ramekins also hold heat longer than a pile of eggs on a plate, so they stay warmer longer.
Make Overnight Scrambled Eggs
Cooking Update: I finally figured out it was my addition of fresh spinach that was creating a soggy (liquidy?) finished product! As they sit overnight, the spinach releases more liquid. I really have made these for years and only in the last couple of years added the vegetable to make them more healthy. Sheesh - not sure why I didn't get a clue earlier! So here's what to do to not end up with too much liquid:
- Do NOT add the fresh spinach like I show in the photos.
- DO use either frozen spinach or spinach you've sautéed first until completely limp.
- THEN, squeeze out the frozen spinach over a colander as much as possible, and do the same with the sautéed spinach (or lay it out on a towel to drain while you scramble the eggs.
- ADD the drained spinach at the same half-way mark and finish with the recipe.
There is really only one thing to remember when making these eggs - after adding the spinach at the half-way-scrambled mark, do not scramble the eggs until they're completely dry. You want them to be a little moist when you add the sour cream and place them in the prepared containers/pan.
It's not easy to picture this, but in the second photo above hopefully you can see a bit of moisture around the edges. Not uncooked egg liquid, though, just not a completely dry scramble.
Then add a layer of plastic over the eggs and refrigerate them until the next morning. SO easy.
While we usually add cheddar or jack cheese, goat cheese (pictured above) is a nice option, as is parmesan.
The basic recipe is really adaptable, too:
- Add peppers or tomatoes (drained first!).
- Make it Greek with a few Kalamata olives and some feta cheese.
- Or Southwest with chili powder and pepper jack served with salsa.
And the flavor? These eggs are SO delicious - really! It may be the bit of sour cream, but they are such a step above regular scrambled eggs that everyone I've served them to just loves them.
I'm so happy to finally get this recipe published for you because I know you'll love them, too!
Delicious Overnight Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
Ingredients
- butter for pan & scramble
- 12 eggs
- 1/3 cup water or milk
- 1/2 teaspoons salt & pepper or to taste
- 2 cups chopped spinach *either frozen and squeezed dry OR sauteed until limp and then drained on a towel while preparing eggs - the spinach should be a dry as possible
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheese sharp cheddar, jack, muenster, goat or other cheese of choice
Instructions
- Butter a 7x11 or 13x9-inch pan OR 6 ramekins (1/2-cup to 1-cup size). If using ramekins, place them on a small cookie sheet to store and bake on.
- Combine eggs, water (or milk), and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Heat a 10-12-inch skillet over medium-high heat with a pat of butter. Add egg mixture and cook until eggs just start to scramble.
- Add cooked & drained spinach and stir a bit more until the eggs are just set but still moist. Remove from heat and fold in the sour cream.
- Spread eggs in prepared pan or divide evenly between the prepared ramekins and top with cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, uncover the eggs and let sit o the counter while the oven is preheating to 325 degrees, (10-15 minutes).
- Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until eggs are warmed through and cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Greek: add 1/4. chopped Kalamata olives with the spinach and top with feta and some fresh tomatoes.
- Southwest: add a 1/2 tsp. of chili powder to eggs, top with pepper jack cheese and serve with salsa.
- Pesto: mix in a couple tablespoons of pesto with the sour cream and top with parmesan.
Nutrition
Recipes To Serve with The Eggs:
Real Food Make Ahead Monkey Bread
Overnight Peppered Maple Mustard Bacon
