Forgive me for the silly Photoshopped image there at the left, but the excitement of sharing something very simple, very delicious, very convenient, and which can actually be *GASP* economical was just too much. So I had to make a funny parody graphic of the “DaVinci Code” which I did not read, but did somewhat enjoy in movie form.
If you hang around with my in real life, you’ll already know that a phase I use with some kind of annoying frequency is “I’ve cracked the _insert name of food item or general subject here___ code!” How did this simple code get cracked? I was developing a custom recipe for someone, and noticed that I was basically following my usual, instinctual measurements for the few ingredients in the recipe.
Having inherited my great-grandmother’s kitchen-eyeball-ability, I noticed that when “that looks right” occurred there was definite a pattern emerging. SO… since not everyone has been blessed with “kitchen-eyeball-ability” and I’m willing to reverse engineer something very simple, here is the now-cracked the crustless quiche code!
If you’re doing the low carb thing, this recipe is a real time saver… and no one really will miss the crust if you use delicious ingredients…
The beauty in this fun little recipe is how simple it is. And how you can turn something like leftover vegetables (or a mix of vegetables and certain cooked meats) into a really super treat. It’s also easy to have the parts ready to go, then just assemble it and bake when needed… handy for houseguests or if someone’s coming over for a weekend brunch.
As the strange old cookbooks I’m often inspired by would say, “A very good ladies luncheon dish for the smart homemaker.” LOL. Did I mention these are VERY OLD cookbooks? There’s a whole future blog post about how those old books are incredibly useful, but that’s for another time. There will be plenty of laughs–you can bet on that!
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the finished product to cool a little before serving. I’m serious.
The Crustless Quiche Code
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Retrieve your favorite 9″ pie plate or pan (I use Pyrex for these things… you can check the browning progress and there are no scary non-stick chemicals to worry about either. Depending on the pan material you may need to adjust cooking time–metal pans of all sorts will cook faster, and sometimes less evenly. Glass/pyrex is an insulator and that is also a great advantage for this recipe.). If you wish, give the pan or pie plate a light greasing with coconut oil, but I find that this isn’t terribly necessary.
Ingredients (for details see below)
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables
- 3-4 oz cheese (or if you don’t eat cheese, simply add another egg)
- Appropriate seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Decide what the filling will be… I like to use leftover cooked (sauteed in either olive oil or coconut oil with salt, and pepper… and with other spices as below), OR to start with your favorite saute-friendly vegetables, being sure to use just 1 1/2 cups of them… well drained (that is VERY key). If they’re not already chopped small, make sure they are!
Here are some really nice filling matches – but this is just the beginning, you should get creative!
| Vegetables / Vegetables+Meats | 3-4 Oz of Cheese |
|---|---|
| Leftover fajita vegetables (and meat?) | cheddar, or pepperjack |
| Sauteed broccoli and cauliflower | cheddar, or goat cheese, or feta cheese, or havarti, or monterrey jack, or darn near anything really… |
| Zucchini and Greek herb seasoning | goat or feta cheese |
| Zucchini and Italian herb seasoning | ricotta or mozzerella cheese |
| Sauteed spinach or other mild-flavored greens like Swiss chard (you can use a little less of these if necessary – 1 cup cooked, but well drained. I’ve been known to SQUEEZE out the water by hand!) | goat, feta cheese |
| Spinach, mushrooms and Italian herb seasoning | ricotta or mozzerella cheese |
| Breakfast sausage and sauteed spinach (I cook the chopped or crumbled sausage first then saute the greens in the resulting oil… this is only a good idea with very high quality organic/pastured sausage items.) | Optional cheese, but anything mild like a cheddar or mild goat cheese can be incredible |
| Chopped Italian sausage, mild vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, spinach all or just one!) and Italian herb seasoning | ricotta or mozzerella cheese |
| Mushrooms and onions sauteed and drained (if necessary) | Nearly any cheese |
| Mushrooms, onions, zucchini sauteed and drained (if necessary) | Nearly any cheese |
| Leftovers of any generally seasoned variety (stick with things that won’t clash with eggs… so salt, pepper, garlic, etc type flavors or others if you’re adventurous!) | Appropriate cheeses, see above! |
| Frozen, thawed vegetables, chopped and well seasoned (I usually end up throwing them around a pan to get the flavors nice… and to get rid of excess water) Whole Foods California mix, frozen peppers mixes, etc are a shoe in for this! | Appropriate cheeses, see above! |
Should also note that this isn’t a “true quiche” since there isn’t any milk in the egg mixture…. but no matter, if you want to call it more of a fritatta thats fine too, or “egg bake” whatever.
OK. In a large bowl, beat the 8 eggs, then fold in the vegetable mixture you’ve chosen, then the chopped or crumbled cheese if you’re using it. If you’ve chosen a soft cheese like ricotta or a very soft goat cheese, they seem to taste best if not obliterated into the mix, just kind of dolloped in (you can even add it last after the eggs and veggies are in the pan!).
Gently pour the mix into the pan and bake for 15-25 minutes (depends on your pan, the oven, the ingredients… see why I like those glass pans?). It is done when completely set, browned on the edges and maybe even a little on top. Let cool for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. If you really want to get fancy, any of the “Mexican inspired” varieties are fantastic when served with a side of salsa (I like Rick Bayless’s Frontera salsas a LOT right now), and/or any of the “Italian-inspired” ones are fantastic with a little warmed marinara sauce.
It’s also good left over!!!
I had to eat 2 pieces of it nearly immediately to make sure that this 5th test of the “Quiche Code” was also legit. What things I do for you!!! 🙂
Important Tasty Note: This general approach to savory fillings can also be applied to the pecan crust quiche recipe linked here. The only adjustment necessary is adding the pecan crust. Since you will have 1/2 extra egg at that point, if your pan is a bit shallow you can opt to only use 7 whole eggs in the filling detailed above.
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