I’m just gonna get real with you all for a minute.
You know me, and if you haven’t been able to tell, I like easy recipes. I mean, really, really easy. In fact, I used to make this quiche recipe with a homemade “easy” crust, and loved it. But honestly…? Although it was still one of the easiest crusts I’ve ever made, it seemed like an unnecessary addition. The fact that I could shave off an extra 10 minutes was super appealing to me. Enter the crustless quiche.
PLUS, my super-picky-will-literally-eat-nothing-unless-it’s-a-smoothie-middle-child, The Nugget, even likes it. Heck, I’ll go as far as to say he loves it. Yes, even with the dreaded “green stuff” hiding out in there.
But the trick, I’ve come to learn, is to make sure that the “green stuff” is WELL done.
I mean, with ZERO crunch factor.
If there is a crunch to it, forget about it. I learned that lesson the hard way, when I tried to switch up the usual broccoli, with some yummy asparagus, and didn’t blanch it long enough. Too much “this is healthy, so I must not eat it” crunch, apparently.
The Nugget is going through a particularly picky phase right now (awesome), so I’m not straying too much away from the things he will actually, voluntarily eat. I’m just hanging on for dear life, hoping and praying that he grows out of this extreme picky olympics game, that he’s won the gold medal in for the past 2.5 years. I know you think I’m exaggerating, but I promise you, I am not. Don’t believe me? I welcome you to come on over with your most popular kids food (aside from pizza…the kid loves pizza), and take a shot.
The kid has literally, never voluntarily picked up a known vegetable, and eaten it. So originally, when I first made this quiche, it was for me. I had just sat down and started eating it, when my curious little Nugget came up to me asking for a “bite”. I was hesitant, because I didn’t want to scare him away from a possible delicious food, simply because it had broccoli in it. So I strategically scooped a piece of JUST cheese and eggs.
He loved it!
So he had another bite. The third bite, I snuck in a teeny piece of broccoli. I swear the world stopped turning for a split second, as I heard him ask for another “bite”. You better believe I gave that boy my entire slice of quiche!
Now, don’t go thinking that just because he loves a quiche, that it means he loves eggs. Or cheese. Because you’d be wrong. Oh he’ll eat cheese on pizza…or sometimes Mac-n-Cheese (that’s a whole other story), just not in it’s regular cheese form. It’s ok, I don’t understand either. That just means that I must make quiche…a lot. And I’m ok with that. At least it’s EASY and most importantly, healthy!
Crustless Veggie Quiche
What you’ll need:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1-2 garlic cloves (minced or you can use a microplane)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup freshly grated Mozzarella
- 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese (optional)
- Veggies of choice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2: Wash and trim your veggies of choice. If using broccoli or asparagus, you’ll want to blanch* them for about a minute, or until bright green. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. (see below for how to prep other vegetables)
Step 3: While your veggies are blanching: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 4: Brush the bottom of a glass pie pan with some extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle feta and broccoli (or whatever veg you’re using evenly over the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour the egg mixture over feta and veggies. Using your whisk, gently “redistribute” the feta and veggies that may have moved around when you added the egg mixture.
Step 5: Sprinkle as much mozzarella over the top of the quiche as you like. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top starts to become a nice golden brown, and the egg mixture has set. Mine always takes exactly 45 minutes. (helpful hint: place your pie pan on a baking sheet for easy in and out of oven without spills)
*Blanching is simply bringing about 1 inch of water in a shallow pan, to a boil. Add the broccoli / asparagus, and let them cook this way for about 1 minute or until they turn bright green.
Using other veggies? Here are some helpful tips to make sure they are well cooked and not super crunchy:
Spinach: If using frozen, thaw completely and remove as much excess water as possible – then sprinkle that in the bottom of your pie pan, when ready. If using fresh, sauté in pan until nice and wilted…remove any excess water.
Mushrooms: These are usually fine to use sliced without any pre-cooking, but I like to sauté these as well. They are just a nicer consistency for the quiche.
Bell Peppers and onions: You’ll definitely want to slice and sauté these until they are tender and can easily be cut with a fork.
