Crustless Vegetable Quiche

I love quiches, but I never make them because I always think about how much work it is to make a pie crust. This recipe is great because instead of a pie crust, you coat the bottom of your pan with sauteed onions (which is better than a pie crust anyways!). 

My grandma Kate used to always make "Baked Eggs" when we would go to visit her as small children. I LOVED baked eggs, and eventually started to ask my mom to make them at home, and then even further down the line started making them in my own apartment. This recipe has some of the same elements of Baked Eggs that I love (quiche-like consistency, brown and melty cheese), but replaces the white bread with vegetables making it way more healthy. 

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever kind of vegetables and/or cheese you have in the house. I used broccoli and cheddar because it is such a classic combo, but I could imagine this being terrific with peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and a whole host of other goodies. 

Crustless Vegetable Quiche

Courtesy of "Good and Cheap" by Leanne Brown

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter 

1 large onion, sliced into half moons

 3-4 cups chopped vegetables 

8 eggs 

1 cup milk

 1 cup cheddar or other cheese, grated 

tsp salt

 ½ tsp black pepper

Directions

Set the oven to 400 °F. 

There are two ways to make this quiche. If you have a cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet, you can make the quiche right in the skillet. This cuts down on dishes. Otherwise, start with a regular skillet and later transfer everything to a pie plate to bake. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add your onion slices and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over them. Cook the onions until they are golden brown and starting to caramelize. If your pan is oven-proof, simply remove it from the heat and spread the onions evenly across the bottom. Otherwise, butter a pie plate and scoop the onions into it, creating an even layer on the bottom. The onions add a crust-like texture and a bit of crunch. 

A note on vegetables: For things like broccoli, cauliflower or winter squash, I suggest steaming or cooking them before adding them to the quiche to ensure they’ll be fully cooked. For tomatoes, zucchini, spinach or any other quick-cooking vegetable, just use them fresh. Spread the vegetables evenly over top of the onions. The dish or pan should look fairly full. In a bowl, use a fork to lightly beat the eggs with the milk, cheese, salt, and pepper, just enough to break up the yolks and whites. 

This is a savory custard mixture. Pour the custard over the vegetables and onions and enjoy watching it fill in all the free spaces. 

Bake the quiche in the oven for 1 hour. Once the surface is lightly brown all the way across, it’s fully cooked. Let the quiche cool for about 20 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve with a side salad.