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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Easy to make. I don’t cook much anymore but was looking for a good breakfast meal; this is very good. – excellent
Hi Jenn, I’ve made your Quiche Lorraine recipe and it was the best quiche I’ve ever tried. I plan on trying this one but I’m wondering if frozen broccoli will work or do you think it will be too watery? Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the quiche Lorraine! Yes, you can use frozen broccoli here — just skip the step of cooking the broccoli since frozen broccoli is already cooked.
Hi there…thank you for the lovely and easy quiche. I used 4 eggs and reduced the other ingredients proportionately, as it was just for 2 of us. I will definitely make this again.
I love this recipe!! It is delicious!! I have used it and shared it MANY times- would you double or triple this recipe for a 15” x 10” Pyrex casserole dish? How would you adjust baking time? I am making this for a baby shower and will be refrigerating it overnight and reheating it the next day. Your recipes are amazing! Thank you!!
Hi Susan, I think I’d double it for that size dish. Bake time may be a little different but probably not much so just keep a close eye on it. Hope everyone enjoys!
hi!
I LOVE your recipes.
Do you think this quiche could be made into “mini” using cupcake tins? I would love to try to keep them in the freezer and pop them out for a quick breakfast for the kids on school days.
thanks!
Glad you like the recipes, Lindsay! You can make these as muffins, but they will be quite delicate. (Several readers have commented that they’ve made mini versions successfully.) Enjoy!
I’ve made this 4 times and every time is absolute perfection!!!
This was awesome! I was having 18 people for dinner so I doubled the recipe and made one portion in a 9 X 13″ ceramic baking dish and another portion in a 9 X 9″ aluminum pan (because that’s all I had available). I also made a small ‘taste tester’ portion in a mini 2 X 3″ loaf pan so I could taste it before serving for the family dinner. I baked all of it in the oven at the same time, for one hour @ 325F. I just rotated the baking pans after 1/2 hour. I made it the day before a family dinner and heated it up for 30 minutes @ 350F before serving it. It was fabulous. I used extra bold cheddar cheese. This recipe is now a family favourite — served with a salad and a side of bagels it was the perfect Yom Kippur break the fast meal. Thank you Jennifer for a fabulous recipe and for being so responsive via email.
I’d like to make this recipe to feed 80 people and need help to break down the ingredients and cooking time for 9×13” casserole dishes. I may be getting in over my head, but a healthier choice would be nice to have available for our Ladies Retreat. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Jean, I haven’t tried it in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, but I think it should work. The cook time will be a bit longer but it’s hard to say how much so just keep an eye on them. If you’re open to a different egg dish, this Spinach and Cheese Strata is baked in a 9×13 so there would be no guessing about timing. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
Made this tonight and we both loved it. Didn’t even miss a crust.
I had 5 mini portobellos so added those to the sauté pan with the broccoli and shallots.
Used 2% milk because that’s all I had.
We’ll definitely make this quiche again!
Thanks for your recipes.
Jenn, could I make this in a very deep 8 in square dish
Yes, Carol, I think you could get away with that. It may take a tiny bit longer in the oven so just keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out!
Delicious! I made this last night for dinner after receiving your email in the morning with a link to the recipe. I cooked up some bacon and crumbled it on top of the broccoli. My young kids could not stop eating it and the four of us finished it all!
Your recipes have become a regular weekly occurrence in our house, especially the chicken tikka masala that happens every two weeks!
So glad your family is enjoying the recipes, Angela! 😊
Delicious. Wrote you about the cookbook. Just bought 2 – one for my daughter and I after noticing the ad. Would like suggestion about tasteless gruyere though. Thanks.
Glad you like the quiche and thanks so much for purchasing the cookbook! The brand of gruyere I like that is reasonably priced but has plenty of flavor is Le Gruyere Switzerland. I have gotten it at Whole Foods but believe that many large grocery stores carry it also. Hope that helps!
Jenn – Made this just now and cannot stop eating it! I added a bit more broccoli but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It is firm enough to cut and the eggs cooked perfectly. Thanks for another great recipe. Kathy