My brother is getting married soon, so no one in my family (besides my father and myself) is currently consuming bread/carbohydrates right now. Hubs wants to fit into his tuxedo with aplomb, so I have been cooking in accordance with his dietary restrictions (while keeping things in my wheelhouse). I adore eggs, and cheese, so quiche tops the list as one of my favorite foods since it’s a powerhouse combination of the two. However, crust is out for Hubs, and honestly, it would not hurt my waistline to avoid that butter laden bit of deliciousness.

So the following recipe was born- relatively healthy, inexpensive and containing infinite variations.  Pair with a green salad, some fruit or a cup of soup, and you have a wonderful meal.

Crustless Quiche Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons whole wheat panko
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups 1% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 8 oz diced ham
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (6-cup capacity) with cooking spray. Add panko, tilting to coat bottom and sides.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Steam broccoli until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Chop coarsely.
4. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ham and onion; cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture and broccoli to the egg mixture; stir in cheese. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
5. Bake the pie until light golden and set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Now the wonderful aspect of this recipe is it’s variations.  For example, I had some bulk sausage sitting in the fridge, so I made some substitutions and created this-

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons whole wheat panko
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups 1% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 oz
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups reduced fat cheddar, shredded

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (6-cup capacity) with cooking spray. Add panko, tilting to coat bottom and sides.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown.  Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add spinach to onion and sausage. Add onion mixture to the egg mixture; stir in cheese. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the pie until light golden and set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Next time I want to try asparagus, goat cheese, and smoked salmon.  Yum!  Best part of all, Hubs loved it!  He went to the grocery yesterday to get more eggs so I can make more quiche.  You could also divide it between muffin cups for mini quiches- perfect for individual freezing.  Enjoy, and please pass along any delicious variations you create!