Recipe: Mixed Mushroom Egg Bakes

Despite the fact we are entering one of my favorite, easy, and effortless breakfast seasons (fresh berries and yogurt, anyone?), I love any chance to work protein into my mornings, so I’ve been doing a version of these egg bakes for some time now. They’re perfect for a weekday meal because they hold up in the refrigerator for a good five days. When baked ahead of time, you can have a brunch-worthy breakfast on an average Wednesday, and it will feel like a pretty big treat.

I wrote about a version of these egg bakes with ham and cheddar a few years ago, and since that time have been making them with seasonal vegetables, mixing in cooked grains, and getting creative with spices, herbs, and cheese. Lately I’ve really fallen for this simple mushroom, thyme, and mozzarella version, and I think you’re going to like it too.

The ingredients here are pretty simple; you probably have half of them (or maybe more) on hand. The others won’t cost a fortune to pick up. I use shallots because they’re a bit more mild than onions, and slightly sweet, which works really well with the savory mushrooms and creamy egg and cheese mixture.

Try to find a nice combination of different mushrooms if you can: I used cremini and shiitake, but oyster mushrooms are also great. In general, I usually skip the standard white button mushrooms because I don’t think their flavor is as complex.

The egg bakes are really as simple as cooking the shallots and mushrooms, mixing up a simple egg base with a little shredded cheese, seasoning the mixture, and popping them in the oven.

The egg bakes become domed and lightly browned on top — they’re a real stunner when they come out of the oven. For this reason, I love making them for brunch or when we have friends over, as they look far fancier than the effort they truly take to make. As they sit, they’ll settle just a bit, but will still taste delicious. They’re a winning weekday recipe largely because they’re so simple to make and have such a great shelf life — if you make them on a Sunday, you can reheat them throughout the week (I do so in the microwave).

As for other mix-ins or flavor options, Gruyère is a great cheese alternative here and a handful of fresh corn in the summer is wonderful. I’ve used roasted red peppers and feta cheese instead of the mushrooms and mozzarella, and I love doing a simple version with leftover roasted vegetables and Parmesan cheese.

Once you make them, you’ll see how infinitely adaptable and simple they are and you can start scheming up a batch that will suit your tastes just perfectly.