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Cheesy Crustless Quiche

Posted by Elise on May 26, 2007

Filed under Breakfast and Brunch, Cheese, Egg, Low Carb

Cheesy Crustless Quiche

I had this crustless quiche recently at a ladies weekend (you know, the kind where husbands and kids are left to fend on their own and the gals take a well deserved break from the regular chaos) and couldn't wait to try it when I got home. It is pretty rich. In my trial run I substituted some (gasp!) low fat version of cream cheese, and was promptly reminded by my mother that they make up for the fat with carb-loaded filler. I also just used my substitutions as an excuse to eat more. So now I'm sticking with the original full octane approach. Before putting the quiche in the oven I sprinkled it with green onions, bacon, and cherry tomatoes. This is a pretty flexible recipe, you can add whatever additions you want - herbs, mushrooms (dry sauté them first to get out the excess moisture), sausage, etc. Thanks to Cindy for this great recipe!

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Cheesy Crustless Quiche Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups milk
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 5 eggs
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
  • 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Method

crustless-quiche-1.jpg crustless-quiche-2.jpg

1 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring until bubbly. Gradually add the milk; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Remove from the heat; set aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cottage cheese, baking powder, salt and mustard; set aside.

crustless-quiche-3.jpg crustless-quiche-4.jpg

3 Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the cream cheese, the cottage cheese mixture and the milk/flour sauce. Fold in the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses.

4 Pour into a buttered 10" pie plate. Sprinkle the top with chopped green onions and crumbled bacon. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, around the top. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean. Let rest for 15 minutes, serve.

Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Indexed: Quiche

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42 Comments

Do you think substituting ricotta for the cottage cheese will ruin the texture?

I think it would work fine. If you try it, please let us know in the comments how it turns out. ~Elise

Posted by: Amie on May 26, 2007 1:15 PM

This looks good! What's the difference between this and a frittata?

The frittata has a higher egg to cheese ratio, so it's a bit eggier. The quiche is fluffier in texture. For some comparisons, check out the asparagus frittata and the spinach frittata recipes on the site. ~Elise

Posted by: jenevieve on May 26, 2007 2:13 PM

I make this without the cottage cheese. With vegetable it is a savory clafoutis. Very good. I roast the vegetable first too.

Posted by: Linda on May 27, 2007 3:51 AM

This looks fabulous! I just have a question, I am celiac, so could I substitute a gluten free flour for the all purpose flour?

Should work, don't see why it wouldn't. ~Elise

Posted by: Lina on May 27, 2007 11:48 AM

Made this yesterday, substituting cheddar cheese for the swiss cheese and leaving out the bacon. I added mushrooms and green pepper. The whole family loved it! Definitely a keeper. I would say that Frittata is a bit heavier than this.

Posted by: Marielle on May 27, 2007 9:36 PM

When adding the cream cheese, does one blend this in with a spoon or elec. mixer before adding the cottage cheese mixture? Can one use a beater to blend all these ingredients so they are at a smooth consistency?
I really want to try this as it sounds really great. thanks.

Posted by: Sunny on May 28, 2007 12:10 PM

Looks great. I don't usually have cottage cheese on hand, so can I leave it out, or should I substitute something else (ricotta, sour cream, etc)?

Posted by: Tom on May 31, 2007 8:10 PM

Tried this last night for supper, adding some blanched broccoli and cooked ham instead of bacon.... I have to say it is fabulous! so deadly morish. It tastes just as good next day cold from the fridge.

Posted by: Elly on June 3, 2007 6:10 AM

Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I tried it last night and it was simply delicious! I added some sauteed mushrooms. For simplicity, I used bacon bits (the real kind) on top. Will definitely be making this one again.

Posted by: Grace on June 14, 2007 8:05 AM

I made this quiche for a friend this morning and substituted shredded cheddar for the swiss as I didn't have the swiss. I also added fried ham and onions. Great consistencey. I've also cooked the Bisquick recipe but didn't have any on hand so this was a great alternative.

Posted by: Wendy on August 21, 2007 9:44 AM

This was one of the best Quiches I have ever had. Will certainly make it again.

Posted by: Faye on April 20, 2008 2:35 PM

I made this last weekend for a brunch with my girlfriends. Pairs excellently with Mimosas and a cheesy chick flick! I forgot to pick up green onions but improvised with Italian Seasoning and it was great.

Posted by: Jen on August 26, 2008 2:47 PM

Oh my, this is my new favorite quiche. Thank you so very much.

Posted by: Karena on March 13, 2009 12:25 PM

Wondering whether it's necessary to use the roux, the cottage cheese and the cream cheese. My instinct is to lighten it up by skipping the cream cheese. Would that be a mistake?

I would just say try it and see if you like it. Then let us know how it worked out for you. ~Elise

Posted by: spoiledonlychild on March 31, 2009 8:18 AM

I tried making this recipe, but my biggest problem was with the flour, butter, milk mixture at the very beginning. I can't get it to be saucey! I have tried bechamel sauce before, but I think I have a very similar problem. It just lumps up into bits. Should I turn down the stove when I do this?

If you are having trouble with lumps, use a whisk and whisk the flour well into the bubbling butter first. Then, make sure that you add the milk slowly, whisking all the way. If you add the milk all at once, you will end up with a lot of lumps. ~Elise

Posted by: tracyh on May 9, 2009 8:35 AM

I love this recipe- although I omitted the bacon, substituted a homemade herbed sharp cheddar from my local farmers market for the swiss (not such a fan), substituted beautiful heirlooms slices for the cherry tomatoes, and added 1/2tsp of ground cardomom (as recommended by others), sweet onions, and cooked mushrooms.

The one thing I will note is that it took much longer for me to cook- about 1hr + in a 375 oven, which may just be my oven isn't that hot? Overall this is by far the most flavorful quiche I have ever made. Thanks!

So many things can affect cooking time. The particular oven size, configuration, color and type of pan, etc. You just have to go with what works for you. ~Elise

Posted by: kimber_li on August 24, 2009 12:43 PM

I can't get enough of this quiche! I wonder if you can make it in advance - then pop it in the oven the next morning?

I don't know about that. You might try it and see if it works for you. I would be more inclined to cook it, then either refrigerate and reheat or freeze and reheat, if I wanted to make in advance. ~Elise

Posted by: Tiffany on September 19, 2009 8:32 AM

This quiche freezes and reheats very well if you thaw it at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Great recipe, thanks!

Posted by: Darrin on September 21, 2009 5:20 AM

Elise, this is a great recipe!
I'd like to make it as mini crustless quiches (baked in a muffin tin). Do you think that would work? If I need to prepare this ahead of time...two days in advance...do you think I should assemble and have ready to bake off...or bake it and then reheat it?
Thanks for a winner!

I think they will work in a muffin tin (shorter cooking time). I would make in advance, and then reheat. ~Elise

Posted by: Angela on December 13, 2009 4:03 PM

I have made this several times for brunches and it is always a huge hit--everyone asks for the recipe. It has become one of my favorites to make and eat!

Posted by: Cortney Teeples on December 23, 2009 6:53 AM

Question: I have leftover tapioca flour from the pao de quejo you posted a few weeks ago. If I wanted to make this gluten free for a friend, would it be weird to substitute that flour for the all-purpose?

Great question. Tapioca flour is very starchy, like potato flour or corn starch. You can't really use it as a straight substitution for all purpose flour. That said, if I were to try it in this recipe instead of the regular flour, I would use 2 Tbsp of the tapioca flour and keep my fingers crossed. It should work, a classic quiche doesn't have any flour in the filling. You just need enough in this recipe so that the quiche holds together without a crust. ~Elise

Posted by: Liane on April 2, 2010 12:41 PM

Awesome recipe. I left out the cottage cheese and skipped the parmesan cheese because I was in a hurry. It was still delicious. Even my 18 month old toddler liked it. Thanks!

Posted by: Sara on April 4, 2010 7:41 PM

Update on the tapioca flour: worked just fine. The only step that was different was that I didn't have to wait for the white sauce to thicken because it was immediately the right consistency once I added the flour. The quiche had a custardy texture but held up perfectly and was delicious. The tomatoes on top were a perfect touch and made it look very pretty. Thanks for yet another great recipe!

How much did you use? ~Elise

Posted by: Liane on April 5, 2010 8:48 AM

I followed your recommendation of 2 tbsp. That was the right amount.

Posted by: Liane on April 5, 2010 9:37 AM

I made this last night and it was delicious. I was wondering about mixing the cream cheese into the eggs too - but I just cut the soft cream cheese into smaller pieces and mixed everything up and it was fine. I left off the bacon (didn't have any) and it was still delicious.

Posted by: Allison on May 12, 2010 11:29 AM

I'm in phase 2 of the Atkins diet, and although this delicious-sounding recipe is located in the Low Carb category, the 1/4 cup of flour is not a negligible amount for us recovering carb addicts. You might want to asterisk some of the recipes that call for flour, with a note that these might not be appropriate for those on very low carb diets. (Of course there's willpower involved, too. How could a body hope to restrict one's self to a mere 1/8 of this beauty?) Thanks for the web site, which I just discovered.

Posted by: Deb on June 15, 2010 9:10 AM

Great post, I was looking for something like this to make for dinner tonight. Yes, it's a breakfast for dinner kind of day.

Posted by: Home with Mandy on August 9, 2010 12:58 PM

I made this for breakfast yesterday morning, and liked it very much! So did the family. It even tasted great for lunch at the office this afternoon.

Nice recipe, thank you for sharing it with everyone...

Posted by: Rick on October 4, 2010 1:01 PM

I just made this receipt tonight. I added the canned mushroom stems and pieces to the mix...stuck to the recipe, it turned out great! It's delicious~!~~muah.
Thanks

Posted by: Stacey on February 6, 2011 10:49 PM

With the New Year came the inevitable resolution to lose weight and back onto a low-carb diet I went. I have had great success in the past so I am back on the low-carb bandwagon. I tried the Cheesy Crustless Quiche and when my kids asked what’s for dinner and I told them Quiche they were less than thrilled. I have tried several Quiche recipes in the past with less than stellar results. This quiche however was FANTASTIC! Making the white sauce was an extra step but well worth the effort! This quiche has a smooth velvety texture and the bacon and tomatoes took the flavor over the top. Everyone agreed that this was the BEST quiche I have ever made and it goes into my “Family Favorites” recipe binder! Thanx Elise! We LOVED this one!

Posted by: Barbi on February 23, 2011 3:35 PM

I just wanted to comment for those who are watching their carbs, that I made the recipe without the flour and it came out perfect! So yummy, and the prettiest quiche I've ever seen. I added chopped broccoli and it tasted wonderful. I'll definitely be making this again!

Posted by: Danielle on March 1, 2011 3:53 PM

Finally a quiche recipe that isn't watery. I know that adding veggies to a quiche adds water, if they aren't fried first, but this recipe was excellent. The only difference, I added cheddar cheese, everything else was exactly the same. Great recipe! Definitely will be making again. Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Christine on March 7, 2011 1:33 PM

I found this site last week whilst looking for low carb recipes and this was the first recipe I tried, I forgot to buy cottage cheese so substituted with 1/2 cup sour cream and and extra ounce of shredded cheese (I used half and half mozerella and strong cheddar as I couldn't find swiss) and as I'm trying to stick to a pretty low carb diet, used soya flour (still 1/4 cup), and even with all of these changes it was gorgeous, lovely texture and so tasty! I put just mushrooms on top on Friday, and wanted to make it again yesterday so mixed in chopped up bacon, blanched brocolli chunks and chopped cherry tomato into the mix before baking. Delicious! Cant wait to make it for my non low carb friends!

Posted by: Lucy on June 6, 2011 4:24 AM

I am following the Atkin's diet, and cannot have the white flour, but am thinking about subbing almond flour instead. Any thoughts on how this might taste in the quiche?? This might be good with slivered almonds and asparagus or blanched green beans in it too. I might add some marinated roasted red peppers to the mix as well.

I say go for it. Let us know how it turns out for you. ~Elise

Posted by: Marcia on June 25, 2011 11:06 AM

I am slow in prepping and cleaning so if I plan on hosting a brunch, can I make this the night before and then reheat? If so, do you have any idea of the temp to reheat and the time it would take? Thanks so much - this has become my 'go to' site for recipes!

I don't recommend it. It's sort of like reheating an omelette. ~Elise

Posted by: Cindy on October 15, 2011 1:43 PM

Do you think all ingredients (before bacon etc.) can be put into a blender and then just pour into the pie dish?

No, you want to make a roux first with the butter and flour which requires cooking. ~Elise

Posted by: Carolyn on October 26, 2011 9:30 AM

made this tonight and it came out delicious! lots of substitutions (in the parentheses) since i didn't have milk (cream), cottage cheese (yogurt), bacon (smoked ham), tomatoes (chard), or green onions (white onions), nor cream cheese (no sub for this). still! so very very good. :) thanks for the excellent recipe! obviously quite adaptable, which makes it a keeper for me.

Posted by: andrea on February 8, 2012 5:44 PM

I just started eating a low carb diet, and I found this recipe. I've been wanting to make a quiche for some time, and I used your recipe as a base. I left out the onions and substituted some minced spinach instead. I also used diced tomatoes instead of the halved cherry tomatoes. It turned out gloriously.

Posted by: Bryan on February 13, 2012 3:27 PM

LOVE this recipe! Made 3 of these for a baby shower I hosted and they were all a hit. Made 2 following the recipe as-is and for the third I caramelized some onions, dry sauteed 8oz slice baby bella mushrooms and topped it with sliced green onions. Made them all the day before and baked them the morning of. Everyone left with this recipe and I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Beth in the Heartland on March 4, 2012 12:35 PM

Does anyone know how many carbs this has in it? Need No Carb/ low Carb Carb foods...

Posted by: Helen on March 28, 2012 10:26 PM

I made this recipe last night for breakfast this morning. I'm trying to do lower carb foods to jump start getting in shape and I don't love eggs enough to eat plain every morning. I was hoping this would be something I could eat but it turned out that I actually love it. It was delicious! I made a few modifications to it. I used low fat cream cheese. Instead of dijon mustard (which I don't like) I used paprika to add some flavor. I replaced the swiss cheese with cheddar. I used sun-dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes (just because that's what I had on hand). And I personally omitted the bacon because I don't like it, although I think sausage may have tasted good in it. It was excellent and not hard to make at all. Even my picky husband thought it was great. I think it's definitely a keeper and something I'll continue to make even when I'm not doing low-carb.

Posted by: Kim on May 1, 2012 6:31 AM

Also, for those of you concerned with the flour and carbs, obviously if you are doing no carbs, this recipe won't work. However there is 19 grams of carbs in 1/4 cup of white flour. If you divide this into 8 slices, the flour accounts for a little over 2 grams of carbs per slice. There are other things in this that have low amounts of carbs so you need to take those into consideration also. Over all this is mostly eggs and variations of cheeses. The way I made this it is still pretty low in carbs but you have to decide what works for you. Hopefully that helps.

Posted by: Kim on May 1, 2012 6:47 AM

I apologize for the inconvenience, comments are closed. ~Elise

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