Crustless Egg and Cheese Quiche

By Sarah Copeland

Updated May 5, 2025

Crustless Egg and Cheese Quiche
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour, plus cooling
Rating
4(1,598)
Comments
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If you love quiche, get to know this crustless version, dotted with cheese, mushrooms and herbs (and no fussy pastry to chill or roll). Once you master the perfect dairy-to-egg ratio, you’ll find this recipe to be as much of an ally to the Friday fridge clean-out as it is to a brunch for friends. Pay close attention to the baking time: The center should be a touch wiggly when you remove the quiche from the oven. The end result is a quivering, spoonable custard that melts in your mouth, to be served with a bracing salad. Crisp greens with mustardy vinaigrette, or a citrus laced endive and radicchio number — anything in that vein will do.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1tablespoons fine plain dry bread crumbs
  • 2heaping cups/4 ounces stemmed and thinly sliced wild or button mushrooms
  • 1cup grated cheese, such as Comté, Gruyère, Emmental or Cheddar
  • 1cup half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 1cup whole milk
  • 4eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
  • 2tablespoons finely chopped chives, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

408 calories; 32 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 567 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees with the rack positioned at the top. Butter a deep 8-inch round, square or oval casserole generously and sprinkle all over with bread crumbs.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. When melted and foamy, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scatter the cooked mushrooms and grated cheese over the bread crumbs.

  3. Step 3

    Whisk together the half-and-half, whole milk, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour the mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan, and bake until the top is golden and the custard is just set in the center, about 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes to cool before serving. Sprinkle with chives, cut into wedges or scoop out, and serve.

Tip
  • To serve 8 to 10, double the recipe, and bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan for about 1 hour.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,598 user ratings
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Comments

Patricia

Responding to liquid from mushrooms making quiche soggy". Try the "dry fry" method for mushrooms. Heat skillet on high. Throw in sliced mushrooms. Saute dry until ALL the moisture from the shrooms is gone. Then add a chunk of butter, salt, and some nutmeg. Swilr around on lower heat - mushrooms will now absorb the fat. Result: Intense mushroomy flavor and no sogginess. Prepare mushrooms this way for all dishes. Sooo good.

heather

I made this with 8 eggs and used 1.5 cups of milk and 1.5 cups of half and half. The ratio turned out great. Everyone enjoyed this.

Dorothy

I'm hoping that it would be okay to leave out the breadcrumbs? Should I mix in some almond flour?

Julie

I made a few changes -- I used more bread crumbs for a thicker crust. I used six eggs instead of four, with a deeper pie dish. I also substituted diced potatoes (and garlic) for the mushrooms because I don't like mushrooms. And finally, I used sundried tomato powder instead of the nutmeg. I cooked it 50 minutes, and then let it cool in the turned-off oven with the door open. It turned out perfectly!

Kathleen G.

This was in a word: BORING. I read the comments and followed the recipe perfectly. It took much longer to cook and had little flavor. IF I make it again, I'll add onion and garlic to the mushrooms and dried herbs to the egg mixture. The custard was not eggy and the mushrooms were too watery. All-in all a huge disappointment.

Grace in Texas

This is a yummy and easy dish. Made exactly as written in 8-inch deep dish pie plate. I sautéed mushrooms in very little vegetable oil so there was no excess moisture. I did have to boost oven temp to 350 F the last 15 minutes of baking the dish, but it puffed beautifully and settled during the rest period. It came out as a silky egg custard that’s delicious. Will add to repertoire and make often.

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