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Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
updated Dec 21, 2023
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Ditch the crust, then take your pick of mix-ins.
Serves8 to 10Prep5 minutes to 10 minutesCook45 minutesJump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
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Crustless quiche is similar to a traditional quiche where it has savory egg custard loaded with cheese and mix-ins, but it’s baked without a pie crust. It’s the easygoing egg bake answer to practically every breakfast problem I’ve ever seen. I feel positively evangelistic on this one, guys. I’ll even tell you to memorize the recipe because it’s that easy.
A crustless quiche is quite simply baked eggs and literally anything else you want to throw in. Like so many of our classic heroes, the easy egg bake of a crustless quiche goes by many names: egg bake, egg casserole, oven omelet. It’s a creamy, satisfying simple egg casserole, sans crust, and it’s a breakfast hero. (Also? Making pie dough for a quiche crust is totally a pain, so everyone wins by skipping it.)
The Base Formula for a Crustless Quiche
Remember how I said you could memorize it? Here’s the base formula for a quiche: 10 large eggs and 1 to 2 cups whole milk.
(If you want a sturdier, less custardy egg bake that can, for instance, get packed in a lunch box, use 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups milk instead.)
Add-ins for a Crustless Quiche
The best thing about a crustless quiche is that there are so many opportunities for customizing it. I add a pinch of salt and pepper, and rummage around in my cheese drawer and leftover scraps in the fridge. Next come in the add-ins: A bit of chorizo, my kids’ last cheese stick, those greens in the back of the fridge — I throw it all in and see what alchemy emerges.
Here are the categories of mix-ins you can choose from and a suggested amount:
- Fresh tender greens: Use arugula or baby spinach, and coarsely chop them first. About 2 cups.
- Cooked vegetables: Zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms – whatever you have lying around. About 1 cup.
- Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes or grated fresh potatoes: These can help make the quiche more filling. About 1 cup.
- Cheese: Gruyère, Swiss, feta, or cheddar – any of it works! About 1 cup grated or crumbled.
- Cooked meat: Use breakfast meats like bacon, ham, or sausage, and chop it up if needed. About 1 cup.
- Fresh herbs: Use tender herbs like Italian parsley or chives, and finely chop. About 1/4 cup.
The best crustless quiches never quite happen twice, as all those little bits bake up into one cheesy, satisfying breakfast slice. It’s the breakfast version of stone soup; start with eggs and milk and a little love and just keep adding and suddenly you have a feast.
Crustless Quiche Flavor Ideas
While I’m a huge fan of the impromptu leftover-style crustless quiche, I also know that sometimes you want a little more direction. Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Denver Omelet: Cook half a diced onion, a green pepper, and a small box of sliced mushrooms in butter until tender. Mix into the egg base with a cup (or two) of diced cooked ham and some shredded cheese.
- Quiche Lorraine: Cook 4 to 8 slices of chopped thick bacon until crisp-tender and drain. Add a pinch of cayenne and nutmeg to the egg mix. Stir in the bacon and 8 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese.
- Sweet Potato Arugula: Stir in a 12-ounce bag of chopped sweet potatoes (no need to thaw), a big handful of Parmesan cheese, and several handfuls of roughly chopped baby arugula.
- Smoky Chicken Spinach: Slice a few links of cooked chicken andouille sausage and stir in a few handfuls of fresh, uncooked spinach. Add an 8-ounce bag of shredded cheese like cheddar or Swiss.
I often make one of these breakfast egg bakes on the weekend during my meal prep (see a full plan for a week of easy meals here) and then we eat off of it all week long for easy breakfasts, and adding salsa, yogurt, or a side of beans to jazz it up for lunches or even a last-minute dinner.
Anyone can do this — add a ton of cheese and some bacon for a full-on Christmas special, or keep it fresh and lean with chopped greens, leftover roasted veggies, and a dash of Parmesan for something more weekday. You can even freeze it for later! Freeze it unbaked, then thaw before that special guest comes over at Christmastime and you look like a hero with a hot baked egg casserole.
You’re just that good. Thank you crustless quiche — it’s a life lesson to learn once, and use forever.
Crustless Quiche Recipe
Ditch the crust, then take your pick of mix-ins.
Prep time 5 minutes to 10 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Serves 8 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the base:
Cooking spray, butter, or oil, for the baking dish
- 10
large eggs
- 1 to 2 cups
whole milk
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Any assortment of mix-ins such as:
- About 2 cups
coarsely chopped fresh tender greens, such as arugula or baby spinach
- About 1 cup
chopped cooked vegetables, such as zucchini or eggplant
- About 1 cup
frozen shredded hash brown potatoes or grated fresh potatoes
- About 1 cup
finely grated cheese, such as Gruyère, Swiss, or cheddar
- About 1 cup
chopped cooked meat, such as bacon, ham, or sausage
- About 1/4 cup
finely chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley or chives
Equipment
4-quart (or larger) mixing bowl
Whisk
9x13-inch baking dish
Instructions
Show Images
Heat the oven and prepare the baking dish. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, oil, or butter. Prepare any mix-ins while the oven is heating.
Whisk the eggs. Place 10 large eggs in a large bowl and whisk until fully beaten.
Whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper. Add 1 to 2 cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. (If you want a sturdier, less custardy egg bake that can, for instance, get packed in a lunch box, use 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups milk instead.) Whisk until frothy.
Add the mix-ins. Stir in any mix-ins such as meat, cheese, vegetables, or herbs (see above for amounts).
Bake for 45 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and arrange the mix-ins in an even layer. Bake until puffed around the edges and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The unbaked casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Uncover before baking.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Filed in:
Breakfast
Casserole
easter
easy
Eggs
Freezer Friendly
