Crustless Broccoli Quiche
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Who needs crust? Going crustless with this broccoli quiche cuts down prep and cook time, plus carbs, letting the rich, cheesy custard and veggies take center stage.
There really is no other way to put it: this crustless broccoli quiche is insanely delicious. Whether you serve it for brunch, dinner, or any time in between, it’s worth every single calorie. Doing away with the crust cuts down on prep time, cook time, and carbs—and the cheesy custard is the best part anyway. To hold the quiche together, I spread the broccoli out on the bottom of the quiche to create a crust-like layer, making the quiche sturdy and easy to serve.
If you’d like to substitute other vegetables, like asparagus or mushrooms, feel free but keep the ratio of veggies to custard the same and, of course, always cook and season the vegetables before adding them. As with my classic quiche Lorraine and spinach quiche, the oven temperature is key. Quiche should be cooked at 325°F (not 350°F as most recipes direct) for the creamiest, silkiest custard. Eggs like to be cooked gently, and those 25 degrees really do make a difference.
What You’ll Need To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/3 cup water.
Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated, 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate.
Sprinkle the cheese over top. I think Gruyère is perfect here — it melts nicely and has a nutty, earthy flavor — but Comté, Beaufort or Cheddar would also work well.
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. This quiche reheats beautifully so don’t hesitate to make it ahead of time and warm up as needed.
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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.
Notes
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.
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Would this recipe work with diced bacon or ham instead of broccoli or other vegetables?
Thanks so much for your help and for your countless delicious recipes!
Hi Max, you could try it with diced bacon or ham in place of the broccoli. While I think it would work, it won’t be super sturdy as the broccoli adds some firmness to the quiche. Also, I’d cut the added salt in half as the bacon/ham will add a decent amount of salty flavor. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
It held together and turned out well. My boys loved it! They won’t go near broccoli, and have an aversion to most other vegetables. So thank you, Jen!
Max
PS: Good warning about the salt–just a pinch is all that’s needed.
This is the second time I have made it and I doubled the recipe to have enough for leftovers. It’s also low carb which we track. It’s a good change from serving meat. I go in waves where I am tired of meat centered meals and I search for non meat meals. This quiche comes out thick, cheesy and delicious. My husband and son eat seconds and maybe a third serving. That’s proof that this quiche is worthy of serving to the people you love including to your dear friends at a dinner party. I’m thinking of cutting it up into small squares and adding to my appetizer spread. It’s really delicious! By the way, I used sharp cheddar cheese instead of gruyere.
Made this for dinner tonight–it was easy and SO delicious! This will definitely go into our regular rotation! Thanks for this great recipe:)
This quiche is fabulous! I’ve made it a couple times – it’s easy, loaded with flavor, the texture is superb – AND NO CRUST! I only added some diced ham. Gave my sister the recipe and she served it to guests and received accolades as well.
This recipe is absolutely delicious and easy to follow for extreme beginners like myself!
I make this recipe all the time and it turns out perfect and delicious. I also add cauliflower in with the broccoli. This is the first recipe of Jenn’s that I made and kept me coming back to try more. I have not been disappointed in anything I have made so far. Finally bought her cookbook and that has more great recipes.
❤️
Made it for dinner tonight , along with the suggested French carrot salad ! Everything came out great , sooo delicious.
Thank you !
Loved it and ate double the amount as so good! Some left for a lunch with salad so we can try it cold, also froze a bit to see how it freezes. Will ensure that the water is allowed to evaporate fully from the vegetables to avoid any hint of a soggy bottom.
How long would you cook in 3 five by five inch pie plates? I’m just about to make this?
Hard to say, Lesley, but I’d start checking around 40 minutes. Hope that helps!
If I was going to double this, what size pan would you recommend? Also, would the cooking time change?
I love ALL your recipes and look forward to trying more
Hi Nora, I’d use a 9×13-in baking dish. The cook time will be a bit longer but it’s hard to say how much; I’d just keep an eye on it.
Another five star recipe! I used sharp cheddar because that’s what I had on hand and it was delicious! Great week night meal!
I made two of these two months ago. One we ate right away and I recall – it was awesome. I had cooked them both off- andI forgot all about the other one that I had wrapped well and placed in the freezer. Until I was cleaning the freezer and sent the frozen quiche to my parents who were returning from several weeks away from their home and an empty fridge.
It defrosted on the three hour drive there, got popped in the oven at 350* for twenty minutes and provided an awesome dinner for two tired grandparents home from a really long stay with four grandchildren.
As always, rockstar recipe, taste and happy humans eating happy food! Thank you!