Easy to make Denver Scramble has all your favorite fixings you'd find in a Denver Omelet! Filled with cubed ham, bell peppers, onions and cheese.
Whip up this tasty breakfast for your family in less than 30 minutes!
Breakfast for a crowd
If you love a Denver omelet, then this breakfast dish is for you! A Denver scramble has all the fillings you'd find in your favorite omelet, but without any of the fuss!
Making scrambled eggs means no flipping of the omelet and it means you can serve breakfast to everyone all at once, using just one pan!
We recently had a get-away weekend in Montana with three other couples. We rented a cabin on a frozen lake and went ice fishing! The weekend was filled with fun times, great food and we even caught a few fish!
A hearty breakfast was necessary to feed the crowd and to give us fuel to be out in freezing temperatures. One of our friends created this Denver scramble and it was a hit!
This recipe will feed six hungry adults with BIG appetites! If you have a larger crowd, you can easily double the recipe or just add two additional eggs per person.
This egg dish could also be called a Western scramble. A Western omelet and a Denver omelet typically contain the same filling.
Luckily we didn't rely on the fishing for our meals! The small perch I caught wouldn't go very far! There were a few other fish caught, but mostly it was just fun times out on the ice.
Key ingredients
- Eggs - I used a dozen eggs for six people with hearty appetites. To stretch this dish further, you could add up to four more eggs without changing the rest of the ingredients.
- Cubed Ham - Use leftover ham or buy ham just for this breakfast dish. To make things even easier, you can purchase the ham already diced in your deli section.
- Bell Peppers - I've used a red bell pepper, but any color will work.
- Onion - Just half of a small onion.
- Shredded Cheese - I used cheddar cheese, but you could also use colby or half cheddar and half monterey jack.
Step by step directions
- Crack eggs into a large bowl.
- Add salt, pepper and a bit of milk.
- Scramble eggs and set aside.
- Place one tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes just until onions begin to sweat and soften slightly.
- Add bell peppers and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Place cubed ham in pan and heat for 1 minute until ham is warm.
- Add scrambled eggs. Allow eggs to cook for a minute and then begin stirring eggs with a spatula breaking up eggs and mixing everything together.
- Cook just until eggs are cooked through and then add cheese. Stir everything together.
- Serve hot with additional shredded cheese on top and a bit of fresh chopped parsley.
Recipe tips
- Be flexible with your ingredients - don't worry if you have a little extra or are short a bit on the onion, bell pepper, ham and cheese.
- Use a pan large enough to hold everything.
- For best results, use a nonstick pan.
- Don't overcook your peppers and onions. You still want a bit of bite to them.
- Add a bit more oil to pan before adding eggs, if your eggs tend to stick to your pan.
- Add the cheese right at the end of cooking. Once my eggs are done, I turn off the heat and then fold in the cheese.
- Sprinkle additional cheese on top of the eggs.
- Serve right out of the pan or place eggs in a serving dish.
To make for a larger crowd
This dish served six hungry adults, but if you need more you can easily double this recipe. Make certain you have a large enough pan, or cook in two separate pans.
You can also add additional eggs without adding more filling. This will help stretch the dish and you'll still have plenty of filling. I plan on two eggs per person.
Frequently asked questions
Any type of pan can be used to scramble eggs. I prefer to use a nonstick pan because the eggs don't stick as much as they can in other types of pans.
A good seasoned cast iron skillet or a stainless steel pan can also be used. You will need to add oil or a nonstick spray to help prevent excess sticking.
Yes, leftover scrambled eggs can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To use, heat in a microwave oven for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
Serving suggestions
These delicious Denver scrambled eggs are a meal all by themselves, but you may also want to serve with these following suggestions:
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious breakfast recipes!
Denver Scramble
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup onion (finely diced)
- 1 bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cups ham (cubed)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
- additional cheese for topping
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Crack eggs into a large bowl along with milk and salt and pepper12 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk or half and half, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Scramble eggs with a whisk and set aside.
- Place one tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes just until onions begin to sweat and soften slightly.¾ cup onion
- Add bell peppers and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.1 bell pepper
- Place cubed ham in pan and heat for 1 minute until ham is warm.2 cups ham
- Add scrambled eggs. Allow eggs to cook for a minute and then begin stirring eggs with a spatula breaking up eggs and mixing everything together.
- Cook just until eggs are cooked through and then add cheese. Stir everything together.1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Serve hot with additional shredded cheese on top and a bit of fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- Be flexible with your ingredients - don't worry if you have a little extra or are short a bit on the onion, bell pepper, ham and cheese.
- Use a pan large enough to hold everything.
- For best results, use a nonstick pan.
- Don't overcook your peppers and onions. You still want a bit of bite to them.
- Add a bit more oil to pan before adding eggs, if your eggs tend to stick to your pan.
- Add the cheese right at the end of cooking. Once my eggs are done, I turn off the heat and then fold in the cheese.
- Sprinkle additional cheese on top of the eggs.
- Serve right out of the pan or place eggs in a serving dish.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Kathleen says
This recipe is a keeper! Whole family loved it! It will be made again and again. Thanks you!
Kathy says
Thank you! It's a great one to feed everyone. 🙂
Valentina says
What a tasty and hearty breakfast or brunch. Actually, we often have eggs for dinner. 🙂 And yes, a great recipe for a crowd. ~Valentina
P.S. The colors of the eggs shells are beautiful!
Kathy says
Thanks! Those eggs are from our chickens!
David @ Spiced says
Oh, this sounds like my kind of breakfast! I just had a bowl of cereal - and I love cereal - but this scramble is totally making me second-guess that decision. This would be a great weekend breakfast! Also, ice fishing in Montana sounds like a bucket-list item for sure. Glad y'all had fun!!