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!
EIGHT slices?! Ha ha ha!
If you freeze this, should you freeze it before or after cooking?
I would freeze after cooking.
Would this work in a cast iron? As in, cooking the bacon and broccoli in the cast iron, then pour the eggs and bake it in the cast iron?
I use cast iron almost exclusively and do things “like this” all the time. That said, I find eggs very hard to clean off even my best-seasoned cast iron. But the finished dish does quite well in the cast iron. IMO.
Yum. Easy to make and very good. Happy to find a crust-less quiche with bacon! Put just a little more bacon in it, and a little more shredded cheddar. Wasn’t sure the time difference for cooking in a glass pie dish instead of metal, so paid more attention to the center rising. It came out golden and very good! Thanks.
Would Blue Diamond almondmilk coconutmilk blend work in place of the whole milk? Thanks.
I wouldn’t suggest it. I don’t think almond milk is thick enough to work for this recipe. But you can try!
Perhaps if you blended 1-2 TBSP of cream cheese into the almond milk as a flourless thickening agent? I’m not sure how the flavor of the almond milk might affect the overall recipe though.
Made this for breakfast last weekend and it was great!
I made this for Christmas morning and it was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I’m just wondering could I substitute heavy cream for milk? Would you use 1 cup? Would it affect cooking time?
You can use heavy cream in place of milk, although I’m not sure what the appropriate amount would be without testing the recipe. :) Your quiche will definitely be a lot more rich and delicious, though!
I made a double batch of this yesterday to use up some fresh broccoli I had. I just sauteed it in my frying pan with the lid on. It turned out soooo good! I’ll be freezing some of it for lunches. Next time I’ll try the cupcake idea for easier portability!
Thanks for the great recipe!
Happy to hear it Caroline!
I found your site three weeks ago and my SO and I have been looking for recipes to try and get us into the habit of cooking instead of eating out all the time. As you can imagine my bank account was starting to hate me pretty hard for ordering food every day. So far we have done more consistent cooking with the recipes from your site than we have in the last 10 years probably.
This was the first recipe we made. The first time we made it we didnt have the seasoning salt or parmesian – IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE LOL. I still enjoyed it the first time but we made some tweaks based on our preferences and when we made it this week it was phenomenal. We added in more bacon because I love bacon and added in extra broccoli. We also used all the ingredients this time. Adding five minutes to the cook time helped get rid of some of the moisture at the bottom that we had seen the first time and made the cheese on top a browned delicious cheesy crust of awesomeness. SOOO GOOD, super easy and heats up well for the next two days. Love it.
I plan on using fresh broccoli for this instead of frozen. Should I steam it a bit first?
Yes, that’s definitely a good idea. :)
Easy and delicious
Made this tonight. Added Italian herbs. Absolutely gorgeous. Hubby was extremely happy. Will definitely be making this again. 😊😊😊 thank you for the recipe. 😊
I just made this quiche and wish I had checked it sooner because at 44 minutes I could smell burnt eggs so I quickly took it out of oven. Seems like it would have been done in 30 minutes and not 50-55. Was wondering if anyone else adjusted the time? We still ate it but it was rubbery so I know it would have been better if it was light and fluffy.
i just made this in a muffin pan. i will let you know how it came out.
This works amazing in a cupcake pan! I wish I timed exactly how long, but it was roughly 30 minutes and they were very fluffy and a nice golden brown around the edges! Delicious :)