Breakfast, lunch or dinner – this Crustless Broccoli Quiche is so packed with flavor that it's hard to believe it's light and healthy.
This crustless broccoli quiche fits right into my quiche philosophy. The easier, the better! For me, that means that I can whip up a tasty, healthy egg dish without having to mess with pastry.
My devotion to crustless quiche recipes first started when I made my Skinny Southwestern Crustless Quiche. Once I realized how easy (and delicious!) it was, I went a little crazy with new versions:
For brunch or dinner, serve this broccoli and cheese quiche with a fruit salad or an apple pecan salad, with a side of toast or sweet potato hash.
What you need for this Broccoli Cheddar Quiche:
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):
- Eggs: I used a combination of large eggs and egg whites. If you prefer to use whole eggs exclusively, swap out the 4 egg whites with 2 additional large eggs (total of 6 eggs).
- Broccoli: Cut the broccoli into small florets.
- Cheese: I prefer to buy a block of Cheddar cheese and grate it myself rather than using pre-grated cheese, which tends to have fillers to stop it from clumping. That being said, use whatever works for you! Sometimes convenience reigns supreme.
- Cottage cheese: Whether it’s crustless quiches or my Pesto Turkey Stuffed Shells, low-fat cottage cheese is a secret ingredient in my kitchen. The cheese melts as is cooks, so you don’t need to worry about finding clumps of it in the finished product.
- Seasoning: A dash of dried thyme, salt and pepper are all you need.
💙What’s to love about this broccoli quiche recipe:
▪️Easy to make: Making a quiche sans pie crust knock the prep time down significantly. Prep the veggies, pour in the egg mixture and bake. Done! Being crustless also makes this broccoli cheese quiche a good option for a low carb diet.
▪️Healthy: This recipe uses a mixture of eggs and egg whites, and cottage cheese is used instead of cream to achieve that distinctive quiche texture. These substitutes help to reduce cholesterol and calories while still providing a good dose of protein. And let’s not forget that it’s packed with veggies! Adding vegetables is a great way to increase fiber and other nutrients.
▪️Re-heatable: If you have leftovers, save if for tomorrow’s breakfast. A few seconds in the microwave is all you need to reheat a piece of crustless quiche.
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Tips for making this recipe:
Crustless quiche, almost by definition, is easy to make and this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche is no exception. When there’s no pastry to mess with, all that’s left is whisking and baking!
- Even though the broccoli florets are small, I find that the final texture is best if I blanch them first. Throw the chopped broccoli florets into a pot of boiling water for a minute. Don’t forget to salt the water for a little extra flavor.
- Once the minute is up, drain the broccoli in a colander, then either rinse it with cold water or plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking further.
- Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, water, cottage cheese and seasoning in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously to break up the cottage cheese curds a bit. A little elbow grease!
- Arrange the broccoli florets in a 9-inch pie plate and pour the egg mixture over top. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the egg, then bake in an oven set to 375 degrees F.
- Don’t forget to first coat the pie dish with cooking spray so that the eggs don’t stick.
🍳Substitutions:
▪️Eggs: If you prefer to use only whole eggs, use 6 large eggs in place of the eggs/egg white combo.
▪️Liquid: Instead of whisking the eggs with water, use nonfat (skim), lowfat (1%) or reduced fat (2%) milk.
▪️Vegetables: Crustless quiches are endless flexible in terms of the mix-ins. Try zucchini (grated or chopped), spinach or asparagus. If you want to add meat, try ham, or cooked bacon or breakfast sausage.
▪️Cheese: Try Gouda, Gruyere, feta and goat cheeses are all good substitutions.
How to tell when crustless quiche is done:
You should be able to tell by just looking at the center of the quiche. Give the pie dish a gentle shake. If the center jiggles, cook for a few more minutes.
Use the tip of your finger to press on the surface of the egg to determine if the center is set. Careful – it will be hot! Alternatively, stick a small, sharp knife into the center of the quiche. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done.
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche (Crustless)
Ingredients
- 1 cup small broccoli florets
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Light coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse with very cold water or immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Arrange the broccoli in the bottom of the pie dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, water, cottage cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously to break up the cottage cheese.
- Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli in the pie dish. Top with the Cheddar cheese.
- Bake until the egg is just set and a small, sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Let the quiche rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 6 wedges. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published on December 14, 2020 and updated on December 2, 2021.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Frances
Favorite, This was so good, flavorful and lite. I must confess I ate a quarter of it! I love using cottage cheese in quiches, used 2%, and instead of cheddar softened two wedges of white Cheddar Laughing Cow and then added that in. I find it gives a lot of flavor for a few fewer calories. Using just the tops of steamed broccoli made this perfect. Will make it again and again. Great for vegetarians, or those just wanting to cut back on meats.
Dara
So great to hear you enjoyed it, Frances, and that it will be a regular for you!
Candace Hopkins
Thank you for such an easy recipe! The flavors were great and I'll definitely be making it again.