Love quiche but not all the empty calories that comes with it? Then try this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche recipe. Only five minutes of prep time!
Making Healthy Quiche for the Family
“Real men don’t eat quiche.” Says who? Try telling that to my husband, Christopher, aka “TJ.”
A four-time Connecticut state wrestling champ (first one in state history) and owner of an elite wrestling training academy, TJ loves to eat quiche.
At least I think he does. Truth be told, TJ will scarf down any eggs and cheese put in front of him. But the veggies take a little coaxing.
I’m sure TJ would eat a regular quiche, made with lots of sugar and milk, you know, the way the French perfected it.
However, he probably wouldn’t still be in great shape all these years later if my quiche recipes were made the traditional way. Not to mention my three kids probably wouldn’t be as healthy either.
You see, my family, like most other American households do not live the traditional French/European lifestyle. We’re not always walking off our post-meal calories, watching our portion sizes and eating 100% organic, non-GMO, especially when dining out.
This crustless broccoli cheddar quiche is one of many dishes I make to keep my family’s bellies happy while contributing to their health. And my youngest daughter who is super picky loves it. She even eats the veggies!
Healthy vs Traditional Quiche
From a mainstream nutritionist’s perspective, the main reason this traditional dish is unhealthy is because it contains high-calorie and high-fat ingredients. The way to make it healthier, most nutritionists recommend, is by using low-calorie, low-fat ingredients and adding vegetables.
I totally agree with the vegetable recommendation. Craving some ham? Add broccoli to it, like I do in this low carb ham and broccoli quiche recipe.
However, I totally disagree with the recommendation to make it low-fat. Why? Well, fat helps keep you full. And dietary fat is the only macro that doesn’t raise blood sugar levels.
Fat is not the enemy of healthy quiche. That’s just my opinion.
All I know is that if you eat a low fat and low carb diet, you’re going to end up hungry. And chances are, you’re going to end up failing sticking to low fat and low carb.
More than likely, you’ll end up craving carbs and end up eating more than you did before starting the low fat/low carb diet.
Based on my experience eating a low carb high fat meal plan, my health has improved significantly.
How to make crustless broccoli cheddar quiche
I should have told you to preheat the oven to 375°F while you were reading this intro. That way, your oven might be ready to start cooking the quiche.
Make sure you grease or spray the pie pan. If using spray, I really like using coconut oil cooking spray. As for the pan itself, I use a 9.5-inch glass one. I find this size is perfect for these types of recipes.
Don’t Overcook the Broccoli!
While the oven is preheating, you can also steam the broccoli (photo 1). For this recipe, I’m using about 10 ounces of florets. Health-wise, I don’t think it really matters if it’s fresh or frozen.
If you can get it super fresh from a farmers market, that’s ideal. But frozen is still very nutritious. Hopefully, you can buy it organic.
Try tasting a small piece of broccoli after four minutes. Steaming broccoli should not take longer than five minutes. For best results, don’t let the water touch the bottom of your steamer basket.
Make sure you don’t overcook the broccoli by turning the stove top down to a simmer after initially heating the water over medium-high heat. I prefer to cover the florets. Again, check after four minutes. They should be tender by this point.
While the broccoli is simmering, you can crack eight large eggs in mixing bowl. Beat the eggs with heavy whipping cream (photos 2-4). I prefer organic whipping cream to ensure the dairy hasn’t been treated with hormones or antibiotics.
By now, the broccoli should be done. Stir it in the bowl of eggs. Also add the cheese, salt, onion and garlic powders, and pepper into the egg mix (photos 5-7).
Next, pour this mix into the greased/sprayed pie pan (photo 8). Place in the oven. Check on it after 30 minutes. It might take an additional 10 minutes or so until it’s ready. You’ll know it’s done when it browns and appears fully set (photo 9).
Want It With Crust?
If you follow the instructions to a “T”, this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche requires nothing else. However, if you do decide to make this with crust, you can follow the ham, broccoli and cheese version I referenced above.
I make the crust healthier by adding almond and coconut flour instead of conventional white flour. Or, you can opt to use an unsweetened version of my coconut flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust.
If you’re sensitive or allergic to dairy, you can use vegan cheese options. Thankfully, I’m not allergic or sensitive to milk products, especially if it’s organic.
But if I were vegan or dairy-averse, I’d probably use Daiya. I’ve tried vegan pizza with Daiya and I was surprised by the texture and taste of it. I can see how one would never miss out on regular cheese by using Daiya. So Delicious is another great brand of dairy-free cheese which has a coconut milk base.
However, keep in mind that cheese substitutes might cook differently and they tend to have more carbs. You may have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you have experience or recommendations about making this recipe with vegan cheese, I’d love to see your comment.
We hope you enjoy eating this low carb quiche as much as we do! If you do give it a try let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 10 ounces broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese 6 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease or spray a pie pan (I used a 9.5-inch).
- Steam broccoli to crisp tender.
- In large bowl, beat eggs with heavy cream.
- Stir in broccoli, cheese, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper into egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the greased pie pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until browned and fully set.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:
Kathy says
Love this! I cut into wedges and put in ziplock bags to take to work for breakfast. Easy and good reheated
Lisa MarcAurele says
It does make a fantastic make-ahead breakfast food!
Becky says
Very yummy! Hubby liked it too! I added cauliflower, green pepper and some whole green beans. So good!
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s a very flexible recipe so adding in other veggies is a great idea!
Debra A Mathews says
This is amazing and great. I made it the day before Thanksgiving and had my family try the leftovers. There was nothing left for my husband and myself. My grandson in law ate his broccoli and liked it whoopee. He never eats vegetable’s.
Lisa MarcAurele says
I had the same thing happen with my 5 year old daughter. She hates vegetables, but she loved the broccoli in the “casserole” which is what she called it.
Marjory says
This cooks up so nice and fluffy…definitely do not miss the crust. Great recipe!
Lisa says
Thanks Marjory!
Jennifer Banz says
Add some chicken to this for a hearty meal! Delicious
Lisa says
Great idea!