Name: Crustless Quiche to Make Ahead and Freeze
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 5 eggs (large; lightly beaten); 1 cup milk (whole); 1/2 cup ham (diced); 1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded); 1/4 cup green onion (chopped); 1/2 teaspoon thyme; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper

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Follow this basic recipe to make ahead and freeze Crustless Quiche. It's the basic template and process we used at our Make Ahead Meal Prep store for years!

Leave the crust off for a low-carb, ketogenic and gluten-free meal. We'll show you how to make substitutions to this Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche recipe and answer all your questions!

Pictured is Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche. It's quite similar in appearance to Crustless Asparagus Quiche and Tomato Bacon Quiche. That's because these recipes use the same easy formula. Even Ham Quiche Cups use this basic template.

I can argue that it's the one thing you should always have in your freezer, especially if you tend to eat low-carb. It's breakfast, brunch or add a salad for a light lunch or dinner. Simply grab a bag from the freezer, defrost and bake. Woohoo! Perfect crustless quiche every time! (And, yes, it does work with a crust too.)

Read on for the tried and true process, the easy substitution formula and, of course, lots of tips!

How to Make Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche is essentially the filling for any quiche baked without a crust in a pan. So long as the filling cooks nicely in a crust, there should be no problem cooking it without a crust. Here's a breakdown our recipe.

This recipe calls for a 5 to 1 ratio of large eggs to milk. If using extra large eggs, then using a 4 to 1 ratio will result in a denser quiche. Gently whisk the eggs.

We use whole milk. However, skim milk, half and half and heavy cream work too. The higher the milk fat, the creamier the finished dish will be.

Shredded cheese is added next (about 1 cup.) Swiss cheese is frequently used in egg recipes. But, other types, such as cheddar or Colby jack will work just as well. It's a matter of taste. I personally find that mellow cheeses, such as mozzarella don't add much to the overall taste.

Finally, add meat and vegetables (about 1 and ½ cups) and the appropriate spices. When creating your own recipe, we suggest adding ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and something else, like thyme or basil, for the initial test. We've included the substitutions to make quiche lorraine and quiche florentine below.

Combine everything in a large bowl and then pour the mixture into a round pan coated to prevent sticking.

Very important step: Use a fork to evenly distribute the contents in the pan. In the picture below, the cheese and ham are clumped together.

Crustless quiche filling in pan with fork to distribute ingredients.

Bake the quiche in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow the quiche to set for another 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. If the quiche begins to brown too quickly, but is not ready to come out of the oven, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.

Note that the same exact process is followed to cook the quiche filling in a prepared crust.

Types of Pans to Use for Crustless Quiche

Many different pan types and sizes become options when a prepared crust is not used. The quiche pictured is in a 9 inch round aluminum pan. An 8 inch round pan would make it a little thicker. This recipe is easily adapted for muffin tins or even mini muffin tins to make mini crustless quiches. A spring-form pan, brownie pan, and even a glass pan will work.

The cook time will vary based on the type of pan used.

How to Freeze Crustless Quiche

Quiche may be frozen before or after cooking. Once you have the ingredients prepped it's very easy to assemble several bags. If the quiche will ultimately cook in a crust, then we recommend freezing only the filling.

To freeze the filling before cooking, add the prepped ingredients to a gallon ziplock bag, seal the bag and gently shake to mix. Open a corner of the bag and remove any excess air and then seal. Freeze flat for quick defrosting and easy storage.

Consider double bagging the filling to avoid any spills when defrosting. Label the bag and include instructions too so anyone in the house can make it. 🙂

Thaw the quiche filling in the refrigerator for about 24 hours and then cook according to the directions.

Quiche may also be frozen after it's cooked. Consider cutting the quiche into slices and individually enclose in plastic wrap. When ready to cook, microwave from frozen on high at 30 seconds intervals (about 1 minute) until heated through. If reheating an entire quiche, then place the cooked quiche in an ovenproof dish, such as the one it was originally cooked in, and heat in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, covering with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Either way, use the quiche within about 2 months

Uncooked Crustless Quiche in bag to freeze,

Variations to Basic Crustless Quiche Recipe

Use any combination of up to 1-½ cups of meat and/or vegetables and about 1 cup of cheese. Adjust the seasonings too.

Quiche Lorraine - replace ham with bacon and add about ½ cup of diced onion. Replace thyme with ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg.
Quiche Florentine - replace ham with chopped spinach (well drained) and add diced onion (about ½ cup) and use ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg instead of thyme.
Other mix-ins: Sausage, Canadian bacon, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus.

Other flavor combinations that would also freeze well:

Tomato Bacon Quiche
Spinach Feta Cheese Quiche by Organized Island

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