Broccoli Crustless Quiche
on Dec 12, 2022, Updated Jul 03, 2024
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This Broccoli Crustless Quiche has all the flavor you expect from traditional quiche, but without the hassle of making and baking the crust! Flavorful, full of protein, and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Want to try another type of quiche? Make my spinach, bacon, cheese quiche with sweet potato crust!
Why you’ll love it
No crust – Whether you’re like me and don’t want to fuss with making and baking a crust for the quiche or if you’re looking for a lower calorie and/or carb alternative, making a crustless quiche is a great way to go. And none of the flavor will be sacrificed!
Easy to make – There’s nothing complicated when it comes to making this broccoli quiche. Steam the broccoli in the microwave, whisk all the ingredients together, and bake.
Healthy – This quiche is not only filling and delicious, but healthy as well. It’s loaded with broccoli and roasted red peppers, a good source of fiber and vitamin C. It’s also a protein heavy meal, thanks to the eggs, cottage cheese, and gruyere cheese.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Broccoli – You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. If using frozen, defrost it and drain off any liquid. You can skip the steaming step in the microwave if you’re using frozen.
- Roasted red bell peppers – A little sweet and I love the smoky char that the roasting gives them.
- Green onions – Green onions give you a nice mild onion favor without the harsh bite that yellow onions have.
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese – Adds extra protein to the quiche. If you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese it melts during the baking and won’t be an issue. Low fat or full fat cottage cheese may be used.
- Milk – Low fat, whole or even half and half can be used.
- Smoked paprika and garlic powder – regular sweet paprika can be used if you don’t have smoked.
- Gruyere cheese – similar in flavor to Swiss cheese. I love the mild nutty flavor of it and it melts great. You can use whatever type of cheese you like best.
How to make broccoli crustless quiche
Steam the broccoli – Put the broccoli florets in a bowl with a tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cut a slit in it. Microwave the broccoli until it’s bright green and tender, but not mushy.
Whisk together the egg mixture – Combine the eggs, milk, spices, salt and pepper, and cottage cheese. Whisk it together until the eggs are completely broken up.
Assemble the quiche – Add the steamed broccoli, green onions, and roasted red peppers to a 9 inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Top the vegetables with half of the gruyere cheese.
Pour the egg mixture on top of the vegetables and spread out the cottage cheese if needed. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese.
Bake – Bake the quiche on the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes. It should be golden brown and puffy and the middle should be set.
Substitutions and variations
Cheese – Cheddar, Colby Jack, Manchego, Fontina, or Monterey Jack could all be used as substitutions for the Gruyere cheese.
Vegetables – Cauliflower florets, bell peppers, frozen spinach that’s been defrosted and had the liquid squeezed out could be used.
Spices – Change up the flavor profile by using oregano for a Mediterranean flavor, Italian seasoning, and chili powder for a Southwest spin.
Do I have to use cottage cheese?
I highly recommend using the cottage cheese. It adds a cheesy flavor and additional protein. If you’re worried about the curd texture of the cheese, don’t be. The curds melt when it bakes and you’re left with a creamy, cheesy consistency.
If you’re insistent on omitting the cottage cheese, you can. Simply add an additional 1/4 cup of milk. I would also recommend using a milk with a higher fat content such as whole milk or half and half if you go this route.
Storage, Reheating, Freezing
Storage – Let the quiche cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or covering the pie plate with plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Reheating – Reheat the leftovers in a pie plate in the oven at 350° F. until warm. You can also microwave the leftovers in 30 second increments.
Freezing – Yes, you can freeze crustless quiche. Wrap the quiche in plastic wrap and then put it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the quiche defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More egg recipes
Did you make this broccoli crustless quiche? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Broccoli Crustless Quiche
Ingredients
- 3 cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
- 2 green onions sliced
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste I used 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. And spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.
- Add the broccoli florets to a bowl with a tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a small slit in the plastic with a knife. Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is crisp-tender and bright green.
- Add the broccoli, roasted red peppers, green onions, and half of the gruyere cheese to the pie plate.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, spices, salt and pepper, cottage cheese, and milk. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable. If needed, spread out the cottage cheese with a rubber spatula.
- Top with the remaining gruyere and place it in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the quiche browns and puffs, and the center is set.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today and followed the recipe with the exception of cut back on the smoked paprika, wasn’t sure about the taste. It was delicious, shared with a family member and she enjoyed. Question: is a serving really 1/4 of the quiche. Recipe says it serves 4, trying to track calories .
Yes, a serving is 1/4 of the quiche. A bonus to having no crust!
thank you, a great way to cut a lot of empty carb calories without the crust, a very nice quiche!