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With no crust to fuss over, this cheesy broccoli quiche is easy enough for a weeknight dinner—and just as good for brunch or lunch.
Who says quiche needs a crust? I love a good pastry crust, but I don’t miss it one bit in this crustless broccoli quiche. Between the tender broccoli, shallots, and nutty Gruyère, there’s plenty of flavor in every bite. It’s perfect for a leisurely Sunday brunch or a casual dinner, but easy enough to make any day of the week. And if you have leftovers, they’re just as good for lunch the next day.
What You’ll Need To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche
How To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche
To begin, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, being careful not to let them brown.
Add the broccoli, salt, and water. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate.
Sprinkle the Gruyère evenly over the broccoli and shallots.
Then pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
Bake for about an hour, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve.
Tips & Substitutions
- Use a deep-dish pie plate: This recipe needs a 9-inch deep-dish plate; a shallow one may not hold all the filling.
- Stick with heavy cream: It gives the custard its rich texture and helps the slices hold together. Half-and-half can make the quiche softer and harder to serve neatly.
- Swap the vegetables thoughtfully: Feel free to substitute other veggies for the broccoli (I like asparagus and mushrooms), but keep the amount of cooked vegetables the same, and cook and season them first. It’s important to let excess moisture evaporate so it doesn’t water down the custard.
- Choose a good melting cheese: Gruyère is my favorite here, but Comté, Beaufort, or cheddar also work well.
- Keep the oven gentle: Bake at the recipe’s 325°F rather than raising the temperature to hurry things along. Gentle heat helps the custard stay creamy.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Reheating
This quiche reheats beautifully, so it’s a good one to bake ahead when you’re having people over. You can warm the whole thing for the table or just a slice when you need something easy.
- Make ahead: Bake up to a day ahead, let cool, then cover and refrigerate.
- Freeze: Wrap the cooled quiche tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before reheating.
- Reheat the whole quiche: Remove any plastic wrap, cover with foil, and warm in a 300°F oven until hot in the center, about 30 minutes.
- Reheat individual slices: Microwave for about a minute, continuing in short intervals as needed until heated through.
Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ cup chopped shallots, from about 2 shallots
- 10 oz broccoli florets, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces or smaller
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups (about 5 oz) shredded Gruyère
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-in (23-cm) deep dish pie plate with butter.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the broccoli, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ⅓ cup (80 ml) water. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate.
- Sprinkle the Gruyère over top. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
- Bake for about an hour, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
What To Serve With Crustless Broccoli Quiche
My French grated carrot salad with lemon Dijon vinaigrette is a lovely match—the crunch and lemony dressing balance the rich custard. For brunch, add a bowl of fresh fruit and coffee, and you’ve got plenty to put on the table without making another hot dish.
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Could I use a cast iron skillet?
Sure!
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream
Hi Jeanine, when asked, I’ve suggested people stick with heavy cream here, since half-and-half will make the quiche (with no crust) less sturdy and a bit harder to serve. That said, some readers have commented they’ve used half and half successfully, so it’s certainly worth a try. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Jen, this recipe is fabulous! I followed it exactly as written but would like a more onion-y flavor. Should I use more shallots? Or try adding onion or leeks? Would I still include the shallots? Thanks!
Hi Mary, so glad you liked it! I’d use more shallots.
I believe I made this several years ago and I always love your recipes. I want to add mushrooms this time, will that work? Should I reduce the amount of broccoli? Or do you have a different recipe that would work better with mushrooms?
Yes, you can definitely add mushrooms, but I’d decrease the broccoli proportionally. Like the broccoli, make sure you cook and season them before adding.
I made this quiche and really enjoyed it and I accidentally pulled my pie crust out so I figure I’ll use it. Can I bake this in the pie crust without problems? I realize I might have extra mix and I can just probably dump that in a muffin pan. Should I do anything different with the quiche itself?
Glad you liked it! You can do as you’ve suggested and put the extra egg mixture into a muffin pan. Another option is to use the ratios from one of my other quiche recipes. Here’s one to refer to. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Not only do I love this quiche, but friends enjoy it, as well. I have made it several times!
Jenn, how would you adapt the recipe to make this on a 13/9 dish?
Hi Rubi, for a 9 x 13-inch pan, I’d double all the ingredients. The baking time may be a bit different, but probably not much, so just keep a close eye on it.