My freezer is way too full right now, you guys. So, the other day I set out to use up some of my frozen goods, and ended up making this Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Crustless Quiche. As it so happened I had broccoli florets (a freezer staple), bacon, AND cheddar in my freezer. The rest of the very simple ingredients for this Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Quiche are basic refrigerator staples (eggs, milk, Parmesan), so this is a great last minute breakfast, brunch, or even dinner meal!
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Bacon in the Freezer??
Yeah, I actually keep bacon in my freezer. For bacon emergencies. No, I’m kidding. Bacon is one of those ingredients that I like to add to recipes in small amounts to add a punch of flavor, so when I buy a package of bacon I slice it right across the strips into three or four chunks (depending on whether it’s a 12oz. or 16oz. package) and then place them into a freezer bag. That way I can grab out a 4oz. piece whenever needed. I add it directly to a skillet frozen and just cook over medium-low heat until the strips thaw enough to separate from each other, then eventually brown and crisp up.
Can this quiche be baked in a muffin tin?
Yes, egg dishes like this bake very well in muffin tins, although I haven’t tried this particular broccoli cheddar quiche in a muffin tin so I can’t suggest an exact baking time. The baking time will likely be much shorter (closer to 20-30 minutes), so keep an eye on them and take them out when the tops are puffed and slightly browned.
Can Crustless Quiche Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze crustless quiche, although they do seep a little water upon thawing and reheating, so if you’re sensitive to this sort of thing freezing might not be a good option for you. This Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Quiche will keep in the refrigerator for about four days.
Is Crustless Quiche The Same as a Frittata?
Nope, the two dishes differ in both texture and cooking technique. Quiche is a baked custard, or a mixture of eggs, milk, and cream, so it has a softer, more delicate, custard-like texture. Frittatas are baked eggs and have a more firm texture. Frittatas begin cooking on the stove top and finish with the last few minutes in the oven, whereas quiches are cooked in the oven only.
Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Crustless Quiche
Servings 8 slicesIngredients
- 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets ($2.10)
- 4 oz. bacon ($1.43)
- 4 large eggs ($1.08)
- 1 cup milk ($0.31)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.41)
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt* ($0.03)
- 4 oz. shredded medium cheddar, divided ($0.95)
Instructions
- Take the broccoli florets out of the freezer so they can begin to thaw. Place the bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-low heat until very brown and crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain and pour off most of the grease out of the skillet.
- Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high and add the broccoli florets. Sauté them in the residual bacon grease until they are no longer frozen. Transfer the broccoli to a cutting board. Roughly chop the florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Begin preheating the oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Parmesan, and seasoning salt.
- Coat a 9-inch pie plate in non-stick spray (or butter, if you prefer). Place the chopped broccoli in the dish along with half of the shredded cheddar. Crumble the bacon over top. Stir the broccoli, cheddar, and bacon together.
- Place the pie plate on a baking sheet for easy transport in and out of the oven. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bacon, broccoli, and cheddar in the dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar.
- Bake the crustless quiche for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is puffed and it is golden brown around the edges. Let the crustless quiche cool slightly before slicing into eight pieces and serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Want more crustless quiche? Try my Spinach Mushroom and Feta Crustless Quiche.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Crustless Quiche – Step by Step Photos
Take one pound of broccoli florets out of the freezer so they can begin to thaw. Place 4oz. bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-low until very brown and crispy (my bacon was frozen and I just placed it in the skillet straight from the freezer without thawing). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving just a bit in the skillet for the broccoli.
Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high and add the broccoli florets. Sauté the broccoli florets in the leftover bacon fat until they are no longer frozen (just a few minutes, don’t over cook them). This also helps evaporate the excess moisture so your quiche doesn’t end up soupy on the bottom.
Transfer the broccoli florets to a cutting board and roughly chop them into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
Begin preheating the oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and about 1/4 tsp seasoning salt. I used Avec Tous seasoning salt, but you could use something like Lowry’s or Tony Chachere’s.
Place the chopped broccoli, half of the 4oz. shredded cheddar, and the bacon (crumbled) into a 9-inch pie plate that has been coated with non-stick spray. Stir them together until they’re evenly mixed.
Place the pie dish on a baking sheet to make it easier to transport in and out of the oven once it’s full of liquid. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bacon, broccoli, and cheddar in the pie plate.
Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the top. Transfer the broccoli cheddar quiche to the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is puffed and the edges are golden brown. When I say “puffed” I mean that it has puffed to roughly the same height as the outer rim and is no longer “depressed.”
All of the puffiness will deflate as it cools and the steam releases, but the Broccoli Cheddar Quiche should look a little something like this. :) Totally scrumptious! 😍
Wait about five minutes, then slice it into 8 pieces and serve!
Hi, if I cut the recipe in half and use a smaller dish, can I cut the cooking time in half?
Unfortunately, it’s hard to say for certain without actually testing it.
Can’t wait to make this!! Can half & half milk be used instead of regular milk? How will it change the texture and the baking time?
I think it would probably work. I’m sure there will be a slight texture change (probably a good one in the direction of more custardy). I’m not sure if it would affect the cooking time, though. Probably not much, if at all.
Will it cook same length of time if we use a crust??
I’m not sure, I’d need to test it.
Oh. My. Gosh. So good, and very simple to make. I’m looking forward to enjoying the crustless quiche for breakfast for the next few days. Thank you, Beth for this awesome recipe!!! :-)
Question: I have a load of fresh broccoli–do I need to adjust the recipe in any way? (I don’t generally use frozen veggies so I’m not quite sure if the frozen ones listed here mean they’re precooked and frozen, or raw an frozen).
Frozen vegetables are briefly blanched (dipped in boiling water) to stop enzymatic browning, so if you’re using fresh I would suggest boiling the florets for a minute or two just to barely take that raw edge off. Boil just until the broccoli turns bright green, but is still fairly firm.
Did you mean put the dish on a baking sheet?
Yes. Is there a place where my wording is confusing? If so, please let me know and I’ll fix it. :)
In step 5 you say “baking dish” instead of “baking sheet.”
Thanks!
I have a new obsession with quiches, but since my husband doesn’t like eggs I generally have to eat the whole thing by myself. Do you think this would freeze okay after being cooked? My thoughts are I’d eat half over the week and freeze the other half for the following week or so.
I cut my quiche into slices, put in ziplock and freeze. Put a piece in microwave for
a minute (sometimes a little moire)… tastes awesome.
To second what Elaine said, it freezes VERY well. I usually make 4 large quiches as I can
purchase in bulk and save $$. This lasts me for a number of months. (I vacuum pac for longer storage) Reheats perfectly.
Where do you usually buy your frozen fruit and vegetables? I like to shop at Aldi, but have found some of their frozen produce to be poor quality. Particularly their frozen broccoli, it was full of tough, flavorless broccoli stem pieces. I know a lot of your recipes use frozen broccoli, and was curious where you tend to buy it.
I don’t have a usual place, to be honest. But I do have one tip for you. When buying frozen broccoli make sure the package specifically says “florets” otherwise it will be mostly stems. :) The florets are usually a little bit more expensive than “pieces,” but it’s worth it IMO! I like to buy a big two pound bag when I can, because I use them in so many things and it’s less expensive per pound than the one pound bags.
Made two of these this weekend for company and they were delicious! Everyone enjoyed them. In the past I’ve had trouble with quiches cooking all the way through- sometimes the center doesn’t set. This cooked up beautifully and mine looked just like the picture when I took it out of the oven. Also cut very well into slices. I did use less broccoli than called for because I was using up what I had and I think when I make again I will probably keep it to 10-12 oz. instead of a full pound. Looking forward to leftovers for breakfast this week!
I followed the recipe exactly as written and this was incredibly tasty! We loved that the broccoli actually tasted like bacon from using the bacon grease! But the best part was how impressive it looked out of the oven for such a simple recipe. Both of my toddlers enjoyed their own slice and I didn’t have to disguise broccoli for once!
Yum–I did this this morning for a lunch dish, and added about 1/3 cup each diced onion and red bell pepper, sauteed briefly in the bacon fat before adding the broccoli. I’ll cut it in 6 pieces and the 4 leftovers will go into my lunch prep as soon as I figure out what to serve with. Lunch today will include salad and garlic toast with the quiche.
Sounds delicious!!! :-)
About that bacon: Why not bake it in advance? My supermarket offers buy-2-for-1 pounds of bacon pretty regularly, so I try to keep a few pounds in the fridge. (Factory-packed bacon typically has a long shelf life.) When I want bacon, I bake it on half-sheet pans that are fully lined, even up the sides, with parchment paper. Drain, cool and freeze in layers in a storage box. When you want bacon, just take a few slices and thaw in the microwave. This is way cheaper than buying those packages of fully cooked bacon slices, and the bacon is better quality too. Of course, for this recipe, that means you’d have to find something else to cook the broccoli in–maybe a combo of butter and oil.
I like to cook it as needed so that I can have all the extra fat to flavor my dish. :)
I’m going to have to make this recipe for breakfast very soon!!! :-)
Awesome recipe! Can I sub in almond milk?
I wouldn’t suggest it. I don’t think almond milk is thick enough to work for this recipe.
I used almond milk the second time I made this because I ran out of regular, and it didn’t seem any different to me!
Very nice. I’ve been doing a version of crustless quiche for years, and in my poor college days I got my recipe down to four ingredients. The pieces freeze very well too individually wrapped in foil.