A quick Crustless Quiche with Spinach is the perfect easy breakfast, brunch or lunch. It's light, healthy and full of satisfying flavor!
This crustless quiche recipe tastes so decadent and "fancy," yet it only requires about 10 minutes of prep! Loaded with spinach, ham (or bacon) and feta cheese, the healthy breakfast is filling, delicious and perfect with a crusty French baguette!
Why is it called a Crustless Quiche?
A traditional quiche is a French dish, but it has become popular in many other cultures as well. This savory open flan is made of a pastry crust filled with an egg custard.
A "crustless quiche" doesn't include the pastry crust that's typical in a classic quiche. You get the egg custard filling on its own!
Is a Frittata the same as a Crustless Quiche?
Yes, these are basically the same. Frittata in Italian roughly translates to "fried," and is often prepared in a skillet on the stovetop and then may be transferred to the oven to finish. By contrast, a crustless quiche is typically prepared in a pie plate or a quiche dish and only baked in the oven -- not fried on the stovetop first (source).
How to make Crustless Quiche:
This is practically a dump-and-bake recipe, because there are just a few steps and the process only requires a few minutes of hands-on time.
Ingredients for Spinach Quiche:
- Eggs
- Milk or cream
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
- Frozen chopped spinach
- Diced ham or chopped bacon
- Feta cheese
First, whisk together egg custard by combining eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Next, prepare the spinach by squeezing it really dry! I like to make sure that I extract most of the liquid by wrapping the thawed spinach in a dish towel and then wringing it out.
Layer the spinach, ham and cheese in a pie plate or quiche dish.
Pour the egg custard over top.
Bake the quiche at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.
What to serve with Crustless Quiche with Spinach:
You can serve the quiche warm or at room temperature. Here are a few sides that go well with the egg dish:
- Fruit salad (such as Honey Lemon Fruit Salad or Cranberry Salad)
- A simple green salad dressed with Buttermilk Dressing or an easy 4-Ingredient Spinach Salad
- Southern Pea Salad
- A crusty French baguette, toast, or Aunt Bee's 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins or Orange Cranberry Corn Muffins
- One Bowl Whole Wheat Banana Bread, Cranberry Bread, or Easy Pumpkin Bread
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I've used 2% milk in this recipe, but you can also make a crustless quiche with cream, with half-and-half, or with whole milk. Just make sure that you don't use a non-fat milk or milk substitute, because you need the fat in the milk or cream to give the egg custard the best texture and to make the crustless quiche fluffy.
- This quiche includes diced ham, but you can substitute with about ¾ cup of chopped, crumbled bacon. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat altogether.
- How to tell when the quiche is done: The quiche is done when the eggs are set. To test, insert a sharp knife into the center of the quiche. If it comes out clean, your quiche is finished.
- Is crustless quiche healthy? Yes! This dish is packed with protein and antioxidant-rich leafy greens. It's also low calorie, with less than 250 calories in each very large slice!
- Is crustless quiche low-carb and Keto? Each slice of quiche has about 7 grams of carbohydrates and about 5 grams of sugar.
- How long does crustless quiche last? The leftover quiche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Can I freeze crustless quiche? Yes! After baking, allow the quiche to cool completely. Then wrap tightly and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to reheat crustless quiche: To reheat a frozen baked quiche, do NOT thaw the quiche first. Simply unwrap the frozen quiche and bake it in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through. To reheat a refrigerated quiche, cover loosely with foil and bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Why is my quiche watery? You probably need to continue baking it longer, or you need to squeeze more liquid from the spinach before adding it to the dish.
More easy quiche recipes that you might enjoy:
- Quiche Lorraine
- Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche
- Easy Frittata with Cheddar and Chives
- Basic Crustless Quiche Recipe with Ham and Cheese
Crustless Quiche with Spinach
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup 2% milk, whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper)
- Dash of ground nutmeg
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 4 ounces diced ham (about ¾ cup); or substitute with about ¾ cup cooked and crumbled bacon
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Layer the spinach, ham and cheese in the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour the egg mixture over all. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until egg mixture is set.
- Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.
Notes
- I've used 2% milk in this recipe, but you can also make a crustless quiche with cream, with half-and-half, or with whole milk. Just make sure that you don't use a non-fat milk or milk substitute, because you need the fat in the milk or cream to give the egg custard the best texture and to make the crustless quiche fluffy.
- This quiche includes diced ham, but you can substitute with about ¾ cup of chopped, crumbled bacon. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat altogether.
- How to tell when the quiche is done: The quiche is done when the eggs are set. To test, insert a sharp knife into the center of the quiche. If it comes out clean, your quiche is finished.
- Is crustless quiche healthy? Yes! This dish is packed with protein and antioxidant-rich leafy greens. It's also low calorie, with less than 250 calories in each very large slice!
- Is crustless quiche low-carb and Keto? Each slice of quiche has about 7 grams of carbohydrates and about 5 grams of sugar.
- How long does crustless quiche last? The leftover quiche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Can I freeze crustless quiche? Yes! After baking, allow the quiche to cool completely. Then wrap tightly and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to reheat crustless quiche: To reheat a frozen baked quiche, do NOT thaw the quiche first. Simply unwrap the frozen quiche and bake it in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through. To reheat a refrigerated quiche, cover loosely with foil and bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Why is my quiche watery? You probably need to continue baking it longer, or you need to squeeze more liquid from the spinach before adding it to the dish.
Thus quiche is SO good. I love the ratio of eggs and milk to fillings. I ended up using broccoli and cheddar instead and it was delicious. Thanks for a great quiche base.
Thanks, Loretta! Your version sounds delicious, too!
Can I use 1/2 buttermilk and 1/2 almond milk?
Hi! I don't know...the almond milk doesn't really have enough fat to make an egg custard with a nice texture, and the buttermilk will change the flavor (which you might not mind, but it will definitely be different). I wouldn't try this substitute myself, but you can certainly do so if you like. 🙂