Quick Crustless Quiche

Santa, please bring me a better camera so I can take decent pictures...

Quiche is pretty much a glorified omelet. But you can only have omelets for dinner so many times before it gets dull.

I like the standard quiche, but there’s something about the crust that just makes me think dessert instead of dinner. It could be that I once tried to save myself some time by buying the crust instead of making it from scratch and I inadvertently bought a dessert dough (not the savory, sugarless variety). Hey, I like to try new flavor combos, but ew. Just ew.

My solution? Go crustless.

Without the crust, quiche becomes a lot more versatile. And leftovers are literally soaked up with an egg custard and a generous helping of cheese. Pair yesterday’s ham and roasted potatoes with sharp cheddar cheese for a quick comfort food dish. Or spruce up spinach and bacon with some Swiss cheese.

Are you seeing where I’m going with this–easy dinner during the holiday rush that also cleans out the fridge? Ah, now you’re starting to brainstorm how to use what you’ve got and refashion it in a pie tin.

I’ve included a recipe with specific directions, but I like to think of this as a guideline, so let me explain crustless quiche construction. First, you need to grease your pan, easy enough. And don’t feel like you have to stay with the pie shape—an 8×8” square pan works well too (this recipe doubles well too). Then it’s all about what your family likes—add ham, sausage, bacon, or veggies to the bottom of your pan. Once that’s in the pan you pour the egg mixture on top to seal the ingredients together, of course the cheese in the eggs helps with keeping things together. I also like to add a little extra cheese and herbs (fresh or dried) on top of the quiche, just to spruce up the appearance.

The quiche doesn’t cook quickly, but while it bakes you can do a little online shopping or wrap a present or two. I usually serve a hearty slice of crustless quiche with a salad and a muffin.

Recipe

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

4 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 cups milk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

pepper to taste
¾ cup-1 cup shredded cheese

1 cup chopped ham, cooked sausage, bacon or cooked veggies like broccoli, mushrooms

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and flour using a hand mixer. Add the spices and ½ cup of shredded cheese (I like to use a combination of Parmesan and sharp cheddar).
3. Grease a 9” pie pan or small casserole dish.
4. Place your cooked meat and/or veggies on the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Add the remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through and browned slightly on the top.
7. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.