Crustless quiche is easy to make, keeps well, and can be reheated all week. In this vegetarian crustless quiche recipe, I used spinach and sliced mushrooms, but it’s so easy to adapt. Use what you have on hand and serve low-carb, gluten-free crustless quiche for breakfast, lunch, or even a light dinner.
Let me start by saying I have zero qualms when it comes to crust on quiche. One of my favorite recipes on the site is Asparagus Quiche made with whole wheat flour. It’s just that I don’t always want the mess that comes with making the crust and with so many dietary restrictions in the world, making crustless quiche is an easy way to make sure everyone is cared for and I keep my sanity.
This spinach and mushroom crustless quiche recipe is both vegetarian and gluten-free, but it’s so easy to adapt to your personal preferences. I have used this recipe as a base and swapped in broccoli, cheddar, and diced ham, or for a summery version tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and feta are delicious. I’ve even been known to make the most of roasted vegetables by transforming the leftovers into quiche. Really when it comes to crustless quiche anything goes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in this Crustless Quiche Recipe
Just a dozen ingredients (including salt and pepper) and this crustless quiche is the oven. Quiche is endlessly flexible. Not a mushroom fan? Just leave them out? A simple spinach quiche is pretty good too.
- Eggs are the key to creating a delightfully fluffy and creamy texture adding richness and binding all the ingredients together.
- Whole milk lightens the eggs and is lower in calories and saturated fat than the more commonly used heavy whipping cream.
- Fontina cheese has a smooth and nutty profile I like with mushrooms, but you could also swap it for mozzarella or goat cheese, a couple of favorites of mine.
- Olive oil not only adds a touch of healthy fat but also helps the crustless quiche release from the pie plate. Olive oil is the fat of choice in the Mediterranean diet so I use it in place of butter any chance I get.
- Baby spinach leaves are such an easy way to add a few extra vegetables to your diet.
- Sliced mushrooms are a natural source of Vitamin D and according to the National Library of Medicine, “… Mushrooms [could] be the only non-animal, unfortified food source of vitamin D that can provide a substantial amount of vitamin D2 in a single serving.” I eat mushrooms because they taste great, but it doesn’t hurt to know they are also a good source of Vitamin D.
- Yellow onion provides a subtle sweetness that balances out the other ingredients.
- Garlic, onions, and mushrooms are like a flavor-boosting dream team.
- Thyme is one of my all-time favorite spices. In the summer when my garden is growing, I will use fresh thyme, in the winter dried. Either will work in this recipe.
- Kosher salt plays a fundamental role in enhancing and balancing flavors while black pepper provides a subtle heat.
- Balsamic vinegar adds a slight tang infusing the crustless quiche with a unique depth of flavor and a delightful balance of acidity. When I was a teenager, my friend’s mom used to make us mushrooms on toast, and it was loaded with garlic and balsamic vinegar. I added it to this recipe to pay homage to her. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar you can leave it out. The recipe will still taste great.
How to Make Crustless Quiche
This crustless quiche recipe really couldn’t be any easier. I make it because I don’t always want to bother with making a pie crust, but it’s great for friends who are gluten-free or watch their carbs.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil and set it on a baking sheet.
- Whisk the eggs and cube the cheese: In a large bowl, aggressively whisk together the eggs and milk. Cube the Fontina cheese and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, onion, and minced garlic. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms shrink and the onions are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your mushrooms. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add the spinach, and stir until wilted, this should take about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Combine: Add the cooked vegetables to the pie plate, sprinkle with the cubed cheese, and pour the egg mixture over the top. It should be full up to the rim. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake: Set the timer for 35 minutes and bake until the center is set. Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
How to Adapt this Recipe
We have quite a few egg recipes at The Mediterranean Dish because eggs are an affordable protein and are endlessly adaptable. Here are some of my favorite ways to keep my crustless quiche recipe fresh:
- Summer Crustless Quiche: When my garden is exploding with fresh vegetables I like to swap the mushrooms and spinach with 1 cup of sweet corn kernels, a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, and a little goat cheese. It’s one of my favorite combos.
- Keep things simple: Spinach crustless quiche is great. Skip the balsamic vinegar and mushrooms in this recipe, add a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and an extra cup of baby spinach.
- Loaded Mushroom Crustless Quiche: Skip the spinach, double the mushrooms, but mix them up! Use a combination of oyster mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, and cremini mushrooms. We kind of have a thing for mushrooms around here. We like Marinated Mushrooms, Mushroom Pasta and we even put mushrooms in soup.
- Italian-inspired Quiche: Take a page out of our Breakfast Strata recipe and load this crustless quiche recipe with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, spinach, 1 teaspoon of Homemade Italian Seasoning, and a mixture of cheeses like parmesan and chèvre.
Make it a Meal
On Sundays, I usually make a couple of salads that keep well in the fridge and about once or twice a month, I make this mushroom and spinach crustless quiche (or some quiche variation) to go with the salads. Then eat it for lunch or breakfast all week long.
It’s an easy way for me to make sure I get a decent, whole meal without a lot of effort. If left to my own devices I will snack. However, it’s also a great recipe for brunch or casual Saturday morning get-togethers.
Pair crustless quiche with a nice Fruit Salad loaded with fresh summery berries in the warmer months or for extra vegetables try it with Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad or this herby Greek Salad called, Maroulosalata. All the salads will last for days in the fridge, which makes mealtime a breeze.
If salad isn’t your thing quiche goes well with soup too. Try it with this, Healthy Potato Soup or this rich and hearty Vegetable Stew.
More Egg-cellent Egg Recipes
Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (with Video)
Breakfast
Asparagus Quiche
Italian
Feta and Spinach Frittata
Browse all Mediterranean Recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Bundle and Save
Our Signature Private Reserve and Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Sourced Directly from Family Farms in Greece.
Crustless Quiche with Spinach and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces Fontina cheese or mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil and set it on a baking sheet.
- Whisk the eggs and cube the cheese: In a large bowl, aggressively whisk together the eggs and milk. Cube the Fontina cheese and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms shrink and the onions are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your mushrooms. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add the spinach, stir until wilted, this should take about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Combine: Add the cooked vegetables to the pie plate, sprinkle with the cubed cheese, and pour the egg mixture over the top. It should be full up to the rim. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake: Set the timer for 35 minutes and bake until the center is set. Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
- Any of our olive oils will work in this recipe. My favorite is the Spanish Hojiblanca because it has a nice peppery finish.
- Crustless quiche is endlessly versatile. Experiment with what you have on hand, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and even thinly sliced potatoes work beautifully with eggs.
What is the best way to reheat this? I had to make it a day in advance. Thanks! Smells great while baking!
Hi, Amy. You can reheat it in a low oven — about 300°F for about 20 minutes or just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes, test it then add another minute or so. Enjoy.
Not being an expert cook (or even a cook…), I have two questions –
1) When you say ‘a large skillet’, do you mean 10″ or 12″, or either? And,
2) What is the diameter of a ‘pie plate’ as used in this recipe?
Many thanks.
HI, Sam — I’m Summer and I wrote this recipe. Either a 10 or 12 inch skillet will work. The pie plate is a 9 inch pie plate. If you want to give yourself a little extra room for sloshing you could use a deep dish pie plate as well. Enjoy the recipe!
This turned out super soggy and the eggs were over-cooked despite 5 minutes less in the oven. Any tips?
Hi, Melissa! I’m Summer and I wrote this recipe. Let’s see if I can help you troubleshoot. Assuming you didn’t swap out any ingredients the extra moisture could’ve come from one of 2 places. Mushrooms have a lot of moisture in them. If you didn’t quite cook them down enough (the spinach too) that could’ve resulted in additional moisture in the quiche or if when you mixed the milk and the eggs you didn’t blend it enough so the eggs and milk never formed a true custard. I hope that helps.