High Protein Pesto Breakfast Bagels

These open-faced pesto breakfast bagels combine a fluffy cottage cheese egg bake with homemade basil pesto, fresh tomato and a toasted bagel. The egg bake is made with whole eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and mozzarella for a make-ahead, high-protein breakfast that still tastes like something you’d actually want for brunch.

The egg bake can be made ahead and refrigerated, which makes these especially easy to assemble during the week.

High-Protein Mozzarella Egg Bake

Makes one 9×13-inch pan

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups liquid egg whites
• 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
• 3 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Add the eggs, egg whites and cottage cheese to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. This gives the finished egg bake a light, cohesive texture without noticeable cottage cheese curds.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking dish and gently stir in the shredded mozzarella, salt and several grinds of black pepper.
4. Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the center is just set. Avoid overbaking; the eggs will continue to set slightly as they cool.
5. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
6. For round portions, use a biscuit or cookie cutter approximately the diameter of your bagel. You can also simply cut the egg bake into squares for easier meal prep.

Make-ahead tip: Refrigerate the cooled egg bake in an airtight container and reheat individual portions as needed.

Open-Faced Pesto Breakfast Bagels

Ingredients

For each serving:

• ½ bagel – I use the Wildgrain slow fermented bagels
• 4–5 oz mozzarella egg bake
• 1 tsp homemade basil pesto, or more to taste
• 1–2 slices ripe tomato
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh basil, optional
• Balsamic glaze, optional

Assembly

1. Toast the bagel. Slice the bagel in half and toast until the cut side is golden and crisp.
2. Warm the egg bake. Reheat a portion of egg bake until warmed through.
3. Add the pesto. Spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto over the toasted bagel. Add more if you prefer a stronger pesto flavor.
4. Layer the sandwich. Top with the warm egg bake and a slice or two of fresh tomato.
5. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and, if you’d like, fresh basil or a very light drizzle of balsamic glaze.
6. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Don’t want a full bagel? That’s exactly why I like these open-faced. Half a bagel gives you a crisp, chewy base without overwhelming the egg, tomato and pesto.

Interested in trying Wildgrain? Here’s my code for $20 off

No round cutter? Don’t worry about it. A square of egg bake tastes exactly the same.

For meal prep: Make the egg bake in advance, but wait to toast the bagel and add the pesto and tomato until you’re ready to eat. That keeps the bagel from getting soggy.

About the cottage cheese: Blending it with the eggs makes it essentially disappear into the finished bake. It adds protein and helps give the eggs a soft texture without making the finished recipe taste like cottage cheese. My Vitamix is amazing at blending away the curds!