3 Ingredient Baked Breakfast

Hi folks, I’m obsessed with this 3 ingredient breakfast[1] thing I accidentally discovered when I was basically still asleep one morning.

so like two weeks ago I woke up late because I stayed up watching TikToks until midnight (don’t judge me), and I had to get my kids fed before school in literally 15 minutes. I opened the fridge and all I had was eggs, cream cheese, and some shredded cheese that was probably past its prime but smelled okay.

I just threw everything in a baking dish and stuck it in the oven while I was running around trying to find matching socks for my youngest. twenty minutes later the timer went off and I pulled out what looked like a cross between a quiche and a soufflé but without all the fancy stuff.

my kids inhaled it and my husband asked if I could make it again on Saturday lol. so now it’s like our weekend thing and I’m making it at least twice a week because it’s stupidly easy.

Why is this is genius

you literally only need three ingredients which means less stuff to buy at the grocery store

it takes maybe 5 minutes to throw together and then the oven does all the work while you scroll Instagram

works for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner if you’re having one of those days where nothing sounds good

you can add basically anything to it and it still works—bacon, veggies, whatever you have lying around

even people who can’t cook can make this and look like they know what they’re doing

What you need

seriously this is so simple it feels like cheating:

How to actually make it

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. or 375 if you’re impatient like me and want it done faster.

Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or spray or whatever you have. I’ve definitely forgotten to do this before and it still came out fine but it was harder to get the first piece out without it looking like a disaster.

Cut your cream cheese into little chunks, maybe like half-inch cubes or something. doesn’t have to be perfect because it’s all melting anyway.

okay so here’s where it gets really easy—crack all your eggs into a big bowl and whisk them up until they’re kind of frothy. I use a fork because I’m too lazy to get out the whisk and then have to wash it.

Add most of your shredded cheese to the eggs, maybe like a cup and a half. save some for the top because that’s the best part when it gets all crispy.

Season with salt and pepper. I do probably like half a teaspoon of salt and a bunch of pepper twists but honestly just taste it and adjust.

Pour the egg mixture into your greased baking dish. then just drop those cream cheese chunks all over the top, trying to spread them out somewhat evenly. they’ll sink down a little and that’s fine.

Sprinkle the rest of your shredded cheese on top. be generous here because nobody ever complained about too much cheese.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, maybe longer if your oven is weird like mine. you want it to be set in the middle and not jiggly when you shake the pan. the top should be golden and a little puffy.

Let it sit for like 5 minutes before cutting into it. I never wait this long because I’m starving but it does help it hold together better if you have patience.

tips and random stuff

• Add cooked bacon or sausage if you want meat. I crumble up leftover bacon from the day before and throw it in before baking. crispy bacon on top is also really good but it burns if you put it on too early so add it in the last 10 minutes.
• Throw in some spinach or diced bell peppers if you’re trying to pretend this is healthy. I’ve done frozen spinach that I squeezed out and it worked great.
• Use different cheeses—I’ve done pepper jack and mozzarella mixed together and it was awesome. my sister-in-law uses feta and says it’s amazing but I haven’t tried that yet.
• Make it in a muffin tin for individual portions. just divide everything up and bake for like 15-20 minutes instead. perfect for meal prep if you’re into that kind of thing.

Storage and leftover notes

this keeps in the fridge for maybe 4 or 5 days in a container with a lid. we usually eat it all way before that though.

reheats really well in the microwave, just like a minute or so per piece. sometimes I eat it cold straight from the fridge when I’m running late which is probably weird but it tastes fine.

you can freeze individual pieces wrapped in plastic wrap and then stuck in a freezer bag. I did this once and forgot about them for like 2 months, then found them when I was looking for frozen peas or something. reheated one and it was totally edible but the texture was a little spongier than fresh.

I tried to be good about labeling things after I accidentally fed my family what I thought was this breakfast casserole but was actually some failed cauliflower experiment from October. we figured it out after the first bite and ordered pizza instead.

nutrition facts per serving

this is for 8 servings which is how I usually cut it:

I got these numbers from some online calculator so they might not be totally accurate, especially because I definitely use more cheese than I’m admitting to. also depends on what kind of cheese you use because some have more fat than others.

questions people keep asking

Can I use egg whites instead of whole eggs?

I guess you could but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how it would turn out. probably less rich and creamy? whole eggs just work better in my opinion and we’re not counting calories here so whatever. if you do try it let me know how it goes because I’m curious.

What if I don’t have cream cheese?

then this won’t really work the same way because the cream cheese is kind of the whole point. you could maybe try cottage cheese blended smooth or ricotta but I can’t promise it’ll be good. honestly just wait until you have cream cheese because it’s worth it.

Does it work with non-dairy cheese and eggs?

no idea, I’ve never tried vegan versions of this. my cousin is vegan and she says there are good egg substitutes out there but I don’t know enough about them to give you advice. if you experiment with it and it works definitely tell me because I’d love to know.

Can I add onions or garlic?

yeah for sure, just sauté them first in a pan until they’re soft because raw onions in eggs are kind of crunchy and weird. I did garlic powder once, maybe like a teaspoon, and it was really good. fresh garlic would probably be even better if you’re not lazy like me.