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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Just made this lovely recipe! It was absolutely delicious! Thank you Jenn for sharing your excellent cooking skills with us! I bought two of your cookbooks and use them several times a week. My family loves everything I make from your recipes. Thanks again!!
This recipe is delicious and easy! I first made this quiche exactly as written and my family loved it! I have made it several times since then, and usually make it differently every time and it turns out incredible! I always substitute extra virgin olive oil instead of butter and unsweetened almond milk instead of cream and it always turns out great. Other options include a pound of lean, ground pork, browned first and drained first a little sage added; red pepper chopped first and sautéed in olive oil; mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese rather than guiyere (not quite as tasty but can be substituted in a pinch); sliced mushrooms, sautéed in olive oil first; and I usually add 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half to top the quiche off before baking (arrange tomatoes in a nice circular pattern and gently press each tomato half into the top of the quiche to ensure smooth baking). I sometimes add one or two teaspoons to the cooked vegetables before adding to the quiche for a little extra flavor. Make this quiche for brunch, lunch or dinner – you won’t regret it!
1 or 2 tsp. of what?
Delicious!! And easy. I am getting ready to make it for the third time. I used hickory smoked gruyere the first time, regular gruyere the second. Prefer the added flavor of the hickory smoked but both were so good! Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
This is DEFINITELY a repeat quiche. A big hit for a ladies brunch. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again and next time a tiny bit little less salt. I also made the lemon carrot salad and the flavors compliment each other perfectly.
The best crustless quiche recipe I’ve made so far!! It was a hit at work, everyone asked for the recipe.
Hi Jenn,
I just made this now, and came out perfect.
Thank you very much for your delicious recipe.
I tried it! It came out great! I made this for Mother’s Day brunch. It was absolutely delicious. I used white cheddar cheese.
I needed a fast recipe for a brunch that I had to host last minute and this was perfect! I had to omit the shallots (I’m allergic) and it was still incredibly tasty. Everyone loved it! Mine was done in about 50 minutes. This will be a go-to for me now.
Hi Jenn-
Is it ok to use frozen broccoli in this recipe? If so, should I defrost first? Thank you
Yes, frozen broccoli is fine. I would thaw it first and skip the step of cooking it since frozen broccoli is already cooked. Please LMK how it turns out!