This Green Chili Egg Bake takes the familiar flavors of the Southwest and puts them together in an easy-to-bake casserole with bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions. It's truly a family favorite recipe that we have made again and again over the years. The best part is that we include make-ahead instructions for an easy weekend brunch or a special holiday menu!
Everyone needs a delicious egg bake in their recipe file. You know... the kind you can prep the day before and just pop in the oven while you get ready the next morning. In my house they are called breakfast egg bakes... not breakfast casseroles. Some people in my family are phobic about the name "casseroles" (not even breakfast casserole with bacon would work), so I changed the name to "bake". Now we are all happy. 😉
Growing up we had a special green chili egg casserole every Christmas, but once I had my own family I found they didn't like that particular green chili recipe because the chilis are left whole. Luckily, green chilis come diced in a can. That solved that problem. The addition of smokey bacon was a hit, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Whatever you do, don't leave out the garlic powder. It really makes this southwest egg bake shine.
Our Breakfast Egg Bake with Bacon and Green Chilis is an adaptation from this recipe on greatgrubsdelicioustreats.com. Over the years we modified it to fit our taste buds.
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Why it's great!
- The combination of green chilis, bacon, and cheese with garlic powder is a powerhouse of flavor for your taste buds. Nothing boring going on here!
- It is perfect for your weekend or Christmas breakfast because you can prep the ingredients a day ahead and bake off the morning of.
- It is customizable. The basic amounts need to stay the same but you can adjust to your families likings or to what you have in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for green chili egg bake
- Bacon: Look for a package of bacon that has more meat per slice than fat.
- Eggs: Large or extra-large eggs can be used.
- Milk: Whichever dairy milk you have on hand works perfectly.
- Diced canned green chilis: Getting diced saves a step in prep work, but sometimes I can get my hands on fresh fire-roasted hatch chilis from New Mexico. In that case I take the time to dice them myself.
- Green onions: These add the perfect punch of fresh flavor.
- Salt & pepper: Always kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Garlic powder: This is an unusual ingredient for eggs, but it shouldn't be left out. It makes this recipe outstanding!
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar is our favorite, but whatever you have on hand will be delicious. For a little more kick feel free to add pepper jack cheese.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make green chili egg bake
The best way to do this is to cook up the bacon. If I am cooking a lot of bacon at once I will use this oven-baked bacon method. If I am only making enough for this recipe, I will chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet. Either way you want small pieces of bacon that are cooked through and drained on paper towels.
After that, it's as easy as mixing together the ingredients in a bowl. I find that a fork works better than a whisk. Then pour into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes.
You know it's done when the center is just firm. It will be moist but not wet.
For a crowd
You can make Breakfast Egg Bake with Bacon and Green Chilis for a crowd by baking a double recipe in separate 9x13 pans. When serving a crowd I highly recommend following any of the make-ahead tips below.
FAQs
Eggs can be frozen, thawed, and then baked as directed, but the results are not exactly the same. They can get a bit watery. It is preferable to prep the day before and bake fresh on the morning of serving.
This egg casserole can be prepared ahead a couple different ways:
1. Cook the bacon and let it cool. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together. Store in a bowl (I like to use a large handled measuring cup) until the next morning. In the morning, give the ingredients a quick stir and pour into a prepared pan. I prefer this method because it takes up less space in the fridge and the ingredients won't slosh out of the baking pan.
2. Pour all the ingredients into a prepared baking dish and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, bake as directed. Note: be careful when transferring the baking dish full of eggs. It can easily slosh out of the pan.
This makes a great weekend breakfast or meal prep recipe you can eat all week long. We also make it for several holidays. It appears on our menu of Easter Recipes and Christmas breakfasts often!
Variations
- Add crumbled, cooked sausage or make this meatless by omitting the bacon.
- Add in sauteed bell peppers and onions instead.
- Add chopped spinach into the egg mix.
Tips and tricks
- Make sure the bacon goes in as crispy as you want it. It will not get crispier while it bakes.
- Don't skip the garlic powder. It really is the extra little something that makes this recipe spectacular.
Other great recipes
- Serve this breakfast bake with these Soft Lemon Cream Scones. So tasty!
- Bake these Skillet Apple Pie Biscuits right when the breakfast casserole with bacon and green chilis comes out of the oven. An award winning breakfast for sure!
- While the green chili egg casserole is in the oven whip up these Famous Farm Pancakes or yummy Lemon Pancakes! You won't be sorry!
- This Twice Baked Potato Bake is an all time favorite! It is freezer -friendly and perfect for feeding a crowd!
- Try this delicious Brown Butter Banana Bread! It's the perfect snack to grab out of the fridge or add to your breakfast!
- Another great breakfast dish is this Easy Breakfast Biscuit Bake. Perfect for a crowd and super easy to make!
Recipe
Breakfast Egg Bake with Bacon and Green Chilis
Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon approx. 8 thick slices, diced
- 15 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup (7oz can) diced green chilis
- ¼ cup green onions sliced
- 6 oz cheddar cheese grated, about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 9x13 inch pan with baking spray.
- Cook bacon approximately 10 minutes in a skillet over medium-high heat, until crispy. Drain on paper towels.12 oz bacon
- Mix together cooked bacon and remaining ingredients in a bowl with a fork.15 eggs, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup (7oz can) diced green chilis, ¼ cup green onions, 6 oz cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the top is just set.
Notes
- Make sure the bacon goes in as crispy as you want it. It will not get crispier while it bakes.
- Don't skip the garlic powder. It really is the extra little something that makes this recipe spectacular.
- Cook the bacon and let it cool. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together. Store in a bowl (I like to use a large handled measuring cup) until the next morning. In the morning, give the ingredients a quick stir and pour into a prepared pan. I prefer this method because it takes up less space in the fridge and the ingredients won't slosh out of the baking pan
- Pour all the ingredients into a prepared baking dish and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, bake as directed. Note: be careful when transferring the baking dish full of eggs. It can easily slosh out of the pan.
- Add crumbled, cooked sausage.
- Make this meatless by omitting the bacon. Add in sautéed bell peppers and onions instead.
- Add chopped spinach into the egg mix.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Joy says
I did a fridge clean out for this one.
I added cheddar, roasted red peppers, mushroom and spinach.
I added the eggs to a blender and about a cup of cottage cheese and whizzed until smooth.
Holy moly. This was so good.
Definitely a keeper.
Misty says
Love this! Thanks for sharing your success, it makes our day 🙂
Lesli Holt Guerrero says
Can this be cooked ahead of time and then reheated?
Danielle says
It technically can, but it isn't recommended. It will turn out more dry and a bit rubbery. It can be prepped ahead and baked the morning of for best results. Hope that helps!
Karen says
There is no way for me to print the recipe. I just need to print the recipe.
Thanks.
Danielle says
So sorry you are having a hard time finding the print button. On the the top of recipe card right under the star ratings is a button you click that says "Print". Please let me know if there is anything else.
Mary says
TEN STARS! I prepped everything the day or two prior to baking at my SIL's house. I threw the ingredients together there. It was a HIT! Everyone commented on how good it was. I will make this again- it was great for a crowd.
Danielle says
Awesome! It absolutely brings us joy to know that! Happy New Year!
Geri DeBoom says
Love this recipe!
Misty says
We're so glad you enjoy it!
Daisy says
This was fantastic. We made it for Sunday breakfast for something new and we really loved it. Flavorful. Creamy. A hit of spice, but not too much. Thank you! By the way - you all look like sisters. Just saying😊
Misty says
We're so glad you liked it! And yes, we get the sisters comment a lot 🤣
Theresa D. says
I made these for a work breakfast last week and they were a huge hit and so easy. I made two pans for 15 people and it was perfect with the other foods that were brought. I made them the night before because I was nervous about how long it would take two pans to cook but I could have just done it in the morning as it was perfect to what the recipe called for. Everyone thanked me over and over so I'm sending my thanks back to you guys for the great recipes! You guys rock!
Danielle says
Thanks so much for letting us know!