13 Crustless Quiches You Can Make on the Fly

Let’s not get hung up on thinking that there’s only one way to quiche. Sure, we swoon over a classic quiche, particularly when the crust is homemade, but crustless quiche is her more carefree cousin, ready to party in so much less time and very delicious, too, in a lighter sort of way that feels more appropriate for more occasions. What are those occasions? Of course brunch, and breakfast is a natural extension of that, but lunch and dinner, too, and in a refreshing-change-of-pace way, a savory, dinnery way to get your protein from eggs instead of meat or fish or beans. Though a slice is right-on right out of the oven, this makes for a great lunchbox inclusion wrapped in some wax paper, cold, at room temperature or zapped in the microwave for 25 seconds or so. It really raises the question of why we aren’t thinking about quiche for more regular mealtime rotation. Perhaps with this list of our favorite versions, it will graduate to that honor.

Serving a hot slice over this right over some more fresh spinach—that will wilt a bit on contact—really amps up the flavor for a real spinach lover (come on over, Popeye). No need to pre-cook the spinach in the quiche itself; just spread in the pie pan and pour your egg custard right over top. Mozzarella and bacon are unexpected partners, but after a taste you’ll wonder why they don’t pair up with spinach more often.

We now interrupt this listicle to bring you a recipe that’s not like the others. When we present quiche recipes, it’s because of the tried-and-true ingredient combinations that we know work well together, but we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge how you almost don’t need a formal recipe. Quiche is endlessly adaptable, and this recipe is your blueprint for turning odds and ends in the fridge into a very satisfying crustless version.

We could just eat broccoli straight with goat cheese; they go so well together. But to transform that combination from a Girl Dinner to a Dinner, stir them together in a quiche. The tips of the broccoli above the surface will get a tasty and toasty little char in the oven—yum.

Before the “egg bites” craze, there were crustless quiches. In mini form, they are ideal for any kind of party, no matter what time of day. These might be small, but they’re packed with big flavor, from vegetal chard, the chew of oyster mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan and a dash of hot sauce.

On the island of Capri, off the coast of Naples, Italy, the red, white and green of the Italian flag unite often, in salads, sandwiches and other dishes composed with mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil. This quiche translates those flavors into a dish that tastes rich and fresh, yet is truly light. Just like a Caprese sandwich would be, a wedge of this wrapped and packed for work is a gift from your present self to your future self.

If you wanted to convert the flavors of the Mediterranean into a quiche, this might be what you came up with. With briny olives, sweet grape tomatoes, fresh rosemary and lemon along with Emmentaler and fontina cheeses, it has all the richness and complexity you could want from a quiche. Yes, of course brunch, but also imagine little cubes of it stuck with toothpicks or slim wedges of it served at cocktail hour with a glass of white wine.

This slow-cooker quiche turns just about everything about quiche-making on its head. First, that you can pop it into the cooker and forget about it for hours. Also, that the layers of flavor—here, shallots, ham and fontina—are only one part of the equation. Topping the quiche with freshly sauteed spinach gives these classic flavors a new personality.

Little salty hunks of ham complement the melting sweetness of cauliflower in this quiche. Another benefit of using cauliflower? It lends a lightness and plenty of moisture. The flavors are subtle, which is what we like about this one.

Though spinach is ostensibly the star here, there are lots of stealthy supporting ingredients that make this quiche unusual. Ricotta cheese loses its curdiness in the oven and lends a creamy depth to the egg custard; Gouda and Parmesan blend effortlessly to give some richness the spinach. But the biggest surprise is the endive and walnut salad served alongside; it has just the acidic, bitter and nutty touches that make this taste like an ideal complete meal.

The soul of France is represented here, a country that believes that leeks can star as a vegetable in their own right, not just function as an aromatic accompaniment to other dishes. The combination with bacon and Gruyere feels like something you might come across in the Alsace-Lorraine region, where they are known for their bacon-egg tarts and quiches (and a certain eponymous quiche that you might recognize by name). We’re sure you’ll be converted to the leek-forward point of view after one bite.

The look of this quiche might remind you of other spinach quiches you’ve had in the past, but we promise you, with smoked Gouda in the mix, this one will taste very different. We love putting this one together—just swirl everything in the food processor, pour into the pie pan and bake. Scallions provide a bit of brightness.

You’ll love how goat cheese behaves in a quiche—think less meltiness, a la Cheddar or Gruyere, and more pockets of creamy richness. It carries the subtle grassiness of fresh zucchini. Though crustless, this quiche has a base layer of breadcrumbs that soak up any excess liquid and give a nice toastiness.