Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This easy-to-make crustless quiche is packed full of flavor with tender spinach, sweet caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes and two kinds of cheese. You don’t have to hassle with a crust and it’s gluten-free, too!
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, about an hour to bake
Equipment you’ll need: deep dish pie dish, large skillet, mixing bowl
Servings: 6
This blog post is in partnership with Spartan Nash and Family Fare. All opinions are my own.
I love brunch. There’s something so relaxed about it, especially in the summer. Nowhere to go, nothing to do, except sit and enjoy good food with people you love. Honestly, what could be better?
This recipe and its side dishes are perfect for a summer brunch thanks to a couple easy make-ahead ideas and letting the oven work double duty.
While the quiche cooks, pop open a bottle of prosecco to make mimosas and throw together a quick fruit salad with fruit you have on hand. And don’t forget to put a pot of coffee on!
I went to Family Fare (use their store locator to see if there is one near you!) to pick up all the ingredients I needed for the recipe, including the side dishes. Their stores have a great selection of food, including awesome store-brand products (I used their affordable Our Family line for this recipe, but they also have a great organic line called Full Circle that I love).
You’ll also find great Spartan Nash products around the perimeter of the store, not just the aisles. When you shop at their bakery, produce, meat, and deli departments, you can be confident you’re getting fine and fresh products. And if you don’t, they will give you your money back AND replace the product for free. Isn’t that great?
Easy Crustless Quiche
A quiche that’s easy to make. There’s no crust to hassle with (and that’s the hardest part about making quiche)! You can have a crustless quiche in the oven in no time at all.
A crustless quiche is healthier. Because there isn’t a crust, this quiche is lower in fat and calories. A generous slice (with two kinds of cheese!) is only 222 calories. Depending on how it’s made, traditional quiche Lorraine will run you 400 to 600 calories.
This quiche recipe is delicious! With spinach, caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and feta cheese, this crustless quiche certainly isn’t lacking in flavor. Every bite is exciting. I especially love the chewy bits of tangy sweet sun dried tomatoes.
It’s vegetarian, gluten-free, and low in carbs. A crustless quiche is perfect for families with different dietary requirements.
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs: Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, and nutrients. Healthline claims that they are the “healthiest food on the planet.” Although the white part of the egg contains protein, most of the important nutrients are in the yolk. You’ll need 8 large eggs to make this quiche. Family Fare offers a variety of eggs to choose from so it’s easy to choose what’s best for your family.
- Whole Milk: For the best results, use whole milk. It will yield the creamiest texture, as compared to 2% or nonfat which may make your quiche watery. Quiche is traditionally made with heavy cream.
- Seasoning: Along with salt and pepper, season the quiche with a bit of Dijon and nutmeg.
- Fresh Baby Spinach: You’ll need a 5 oz. container of fresh baby spinach leaves or the equivalent. Fresh spinach has a superior flavor compared to frozen or canned spinach. When it’s cooked down, 5 oz. will yield about ½ cup of cooked spinach.
- Caramelized Onions: Make your own caramelized onions (learn how to make caramelized onions) or purchase a jar of pre-made caramelized onions. They add so much sweet/savory flavor.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: I usually buy dry packed sun dried tomatoes but you can also purchase them packed in oil. If you buy oil-packed, pat the excess oil off with paper towels.
- Feta Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese: Although there are lots of possible cheese combinations, I really love mild tasting mozzarella with tangy salty feta cheese. See the recipe card for more suggestions.
Deep Dish Pie Dish
A deep dish pie dish is deeper than an ordinary pie pan. They are at least 2 to 2½ inches deep and 9 inches in diameter. Use a deep dish pie dish for quiches or deep dish pies. They also work well for casseroles.
How to make This Quiche Recipe
Sauté the spinach: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Add the spinach. It will look like a lot but it really cooks down. Cover the pan for a couple of minutes so the spinach steams. Remove the lid, and continue to cook the spinach for a couple minutes until it’s completely wilted.
If you notice liquid in the skillet, put the spinach in a colander and press out the excess water. You don’t want to add any water to your quiche!
Whisk together quiche ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. The mixture should be completely blended together with no discernible whites or yolks. Add the seasoning you’re using (salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard) and whisk again.
Stir in your add-ins: These are the flavor-makers you decided to add. I suggest spinach (that you sautéed), caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and feta cheese. There are more options on the recipe card.
Bake the quiche: Pour the quiche mixture into the prepared pie dish. Carefully place the filled pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet to contain spills that may occur while you are transferring the dish to the oven.
The quiche will take about an hour to bake. Once you remove it from the oven, allow it to cool for five to ten minutes before slicing it into six to eight portions.
How To Tell When a Quiche is Done
It’s important to know when a quiche is fully baked. If it’s underbaked, the eggs will still be runny and you won’t be able to slice the quiche. If it’s overbaked, the eggs may separate and your quiche will be watery. Here’s how you can tell: Take a look at the quiche. The center should be set, not jiggly. Test it by poking a knife into the center. The knife blade should come out clean, not covered with egg.
Tips for Success
- Preheat your oven. It won’t take you long to put together this quiche and it’s important that the oven is fully heated before you put the quiche in.
- Spray the deep dish pie dish generously with nonstick cooking spray because eggs tend to stick.
- Limit your add-in ingredients. Keep in mind that your add-ins should not exceed 1½ cups, plus another 1½ cups of cheese. You can use less but if you add more than that, the quiche won’t be able to hold everything together.
Serving Ideas
I like to serve crispy bacon and toasted English muffins with quiche.
Baked bacon is the way to go with this meal. It is so easy and you can put it in the oven with the quiche. No muss, no fuss! It turns out perfectly crisp every time. Thick cut bacon will take 20 to 30 minutes. The Our Family extra thick double smoked applewood bacon from Family Fare was amazing! I couldn’t believe how thick and flavorful it was.
While the quiche is cooling, spread the split English muffins generously with butter and toast them under the broiler until they are golden brown (watch them carefully!). Serve them with your favorite jam or preserves. (PS: If you have leftovers, make English muffin pizzas.)
If you’re looking for something a little lighter, serve the quiche with a crisp green salad, like this arugula salad with lemon basil vinaigrette. A citrus fruit salad goes well, too.
Remember, a quiche isn’t just for breakfast or brunch! It makes a very lovely lunch or light dinner, too. Small slices of quiche make popular appetizers, too.
A frittata and quiche are both main course egg dishes that at first glance appear very similar; however, there are important differences between the two.
A frittata is Italian in origin. It’s cooked in an oven-safe skillet and It has a firmer texture, with a higher ratio of eggs to cream. In fact, it may not include any dairy products at all. Frittatas are partially cooked on the stove, then baked or broiled until set. They usually include lots of vegetables.
Quiche, including crustless quiches, originated in France. Quiches are always baked, usually in a pie dish; they have a custard-like texture, and usually include a good amount of cream, and fewer vegetables than a frittata.
If your quiche is watery, it could be that the ratio of eggs to milk is off (not enough eggs). Another culprit can be the fillings. It’s always best to cook vegetables before adding them to the quiche. Vegetables contain a lot of water naturally and when they are cooked, some of the liquid is released.
Don’t overbake the quiche which can cause the eggs to separate and turn watery.
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways you can change up this crustless quiche. Take a look in your refrigerator and be creative. Here are a few suggestions:
- Classic flavors: Ham, broccoli, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Spring vegetable: Asparagus, Gruyère cheese, and snipped chives.
- Meat lovers: Bacon, sausage, ham, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Vegetable lovers: Asparagus, mushroom, red bell pepper, red onion, and crumbled goat cheese. This one is wonderful with a spoonful of pesto or balsamic reduction drizzled on top.
Cooking Tip
Limit your add-in ingredients. Your add-ins should not exceed about 1½ cups, plus another 1½ cups of cheese. You can use less but if you add more than that, the quiche likely won’t be able to hold everything together.
Make double: Make two quiches: one for today, and one for a future meal. Baked quiche can be refrigerated or frozen, and reheats quite well.
Plan ahead. We also highly recommend making the caramelized onions a day or two in advance because it’s a slightly time-consuming process (but so worth it!). In the post linked in the last sentence, we teach you how to caramelize onions, including storage recommendations. They can be frozen, so make a lot and freeze them in small portions. You’ll be glad you did!
- Refrigerate: Leftover quiche will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Crustless quiche will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, wrapped securely. I like to slice the quiche first, wrap each slice individually, and take it out to reheat for a quick breakfast or lunch.
- Reheat: Reheat individual portions in the microwave in 30 second intervals until heated through. It reheats rather quickly so don’t overheat it. Larger amounts can be reheated in the oven at 350ºF until heated.
Free Meal Plans
Interested in weekly meal plans that include this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #35, Meal Plan #63, or Meal Plan #75. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
More Egg Dishes
Crustless Quiche (with flavor options)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 5 oz. baby spinach (will yield about ½ cup cooked spinach)
- 8 large eggs (Our Family brand)
- 1 cup whole milk (Our Family brand)
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ cup caramelized onions
- ½ cup coarsely chopped sun dried tomatoes (from a 3 oz. package)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and spray a deep dish pie dish thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. The dish should be at least 9 inches in diameter, and 2 to 2½ inches deep.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and spinach. Cover for 2 to 3 minutes, stir, and then continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until wilted. If necessary, press out excess liquid. Set aside.1 teaspoon olive oil, 5 oz. baby spinach
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until completely combined. Whisk in mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg.8 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, pinch nutmeg
- Stir in cooked spinach, onions, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and feta cheese.½ cup caramelized onions, ½ cup coarsely chopped sun dried tomatoes, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Pour into prepared pie dish and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Transfer dish on baking sheet to the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until set in the middle (no longer jiggly) and golden brown around the edges. If it’s browning too quickly, set a piece of foil loosely over the top.
- Cool quiche for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If desired, you may omit Dijon mustard and/or nutmeg, but I like the depth they add to the flavor.
- Use a variety of mix-ins, but try to keep it to roughly 1½ cups, plus 1 to 1½ cups of cheese. Most vegetables should be cooked before adding to the quiche to ensure tenderness but to also reduce water content in the quiche. Meat should be fully cooked before adding to the quiche.
- Flavor Options:
- Classic flavors: Ham, broccoli, cheddar
- Spring vegetable: Asparagus, Gruyère cheese, chives
- Meat lovers: Bacon, sausage, ham, cheddar
- Vegetable lovers: Asparagus, mushroom, red bell pepper, red onion, goat cheese
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!This content and recipe is in partnership with Spartan Nash and Family Fare. I was compensated for my time but all opinions are, as always, my own. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands we use and love in our own home. Sponsored posts like these help me cover some of the expenses involved with keeping this site free for you to use!
Does crustless quiche have more eggs than one with a crust?
Not typically, no.
My husband hates quiche so I’ve gone without for 37 years. This was awesome and I didn’t tell him it was quiche until he was halfway through. He said, “I don’t like quiche but this is really good. It’s more like our omelets. ” I had to make a few revisions because we’re at the cabin and I forgot my deep dish pie pan. The quiche police did not appear and arrest me for cooking it in an 8″ casserole dish. I also had to use a large shallot instead of onion and mustard powder instead of dijon. I didn’t have dried tomatoes so I added a bit of bell pepper and sauteed mushrooms. I used pecorino instead of feta but everything else was the same. Delish!
So happy you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review and sharing your modifications!
I was unable to Pin this recipe for later. This recipe did not allow for my finger to press the button. WHY?
Hmm, that’s strange, it’s working for me. Would you mind sharing what type of device and browser you were using?
sounds delicious! I’ll make it soon.
I hope you love it!