This crustless mortadella, cheese and tomato quiche is packed with flavour. It combines fresh juicy tomatoes, savoury mortadella, tasty mushrooms and lightly caramelised onions baked in a creamy custard. Finished with a topping of sliced tomatoes and golden cheese, this quiche is delicious served either warm or cold and perfect for brunch, lunch or a simple supper.
I've based this crustless mortadella, cheese and tomato quiche on my original crustless tomato quiche recipe, but given it a heartier twist by adding Italian mortadella and mushrooms.
Mortadella has a gentle, mild flavour, with just a touch of spice. It is savoury without being too strong, with a soft, silky texture and a subtle smokiness. These qualities make it ideal for combining in a quiche, adding depth and richness without being too overpowering.
The other ingredients include tomatoes, onions and mushrooms, which are gently stewed until soft and full of flavour. Once cooled, they are stirred into a simple custard made with eggs and cream, with breadcrumbs added for texture and stability, and a little grated cheese for extra richness.
This is all poured over scrunched-up slices of mortadella, then topped with more grated cheese and slices of fresh tomatoes before being baked until golden and delicious.
Since this is a crustless quiche, it's made without pastry. However, once cooled, it sets nicely, making it easy to slice and even pick up with your fingers for a casual grab-and-go bite.
The result is a wonderfully light and creamy quiche, packed with juicy tomatoes, tender mushrooms, and savoury mortadella. Topped with golden cheese, it tastes just as good warm as it does cold, and is perfect for any meal of the day.
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Why you should try this mortadella tomato quiche
- 😋No fuss - all flavour - no pastry to roll out, just mix, pour and bake.
- 🍅Fresh and tasty - juicy tomatoes, savoury mortadella, tasty mushrooms and sweet onions.
- 🌞Perfect for any time - enjoy warm for a light supper, or cold for a garden lunch or picnic.
- ✨Light but satisfying - the creamy custard keeps it soft without being heavy.
- ⌚Make-ahead meal- bake in advance and store it in the fridge for a quick meal later.
- 👨👩👧👦Family-friendly - this is a tasty quiche that the whole family can enjoy.
Recipe information
Prep time: About 30 minutes. A few minutes to chop the tomatoes, onions and mushrooms, then about 20 minutes to let them soften.
Cooling time: 15 minutes to allow the tomatoes to cool. The tomatoes will be mixed with egg custard and have to be cooled first.
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
Yield: A 9-inch diameter quiche
Ingredients for mortadella, tomato and cheese quiche
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Tomatoes. These are fresh tomatoes, which are used both diced, for the filling, and sliced, for arranging on top of the quiche. You could use canned tomatoes for the filling, but you will need fresh tomatoes that can be sliced to arrange on top of the quiche before baking.
- Mushrooms. The mushrooms should be thinly sliced. You can use whatever variety of mushrooms you prefer.
- Onions. These should be peeled and diced. I like to use white or brown onions, but you could use red onions instead.
- Mortadella. You can find this on the deli counter of most supermarkets. It is normally sold very thinly sliced. Substitute with ham or other mildly flavoured cold meat of your choice.
- Breadcrumbs. I normally use Panko breadcrumbs. If you don't have this, make your own breadcrumbs by grating day-old bread on a cheese grater.
- Eggs. These are used to make the custard and help bind the filling together.
- Cream. I used double (or heavy) cream. You could use single cream or even full-fat milk. It is mixed with the eggs to form the custard.
- Cheese. Any cheese that grates well can be used. I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella.
- Oil. You can use olive oil or any vegetable oil. It is used for softening the onions.
- Thyme. This is dried thyme. You can substitute with fresh thyme if you prefer, or use a different herb altogether. Dried basil will work well, as will mixed Italian herbs.
- Salt and pepper. This is for seasoning the quiche, and is to your own taste.
Instructions
Step 1: Brush the surface of your baking dish with oil and sprinkle it lightly with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle grated cheese on the base. Set it aside.
Step 2: Fry the onions on moderate heat in olive oil until they start to soften (3 to 4 minutes), then add the thyme and stir for a minute longer.
Step 3: Add the chopped tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and a little salt to the pan and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 4: There will still be quite a lot of liquid in the pan. Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium, and stir for a further 3 to 4 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate.
Step 5: The mixture will be ready when there is still liquid in the pan and it leaves a trail that closes up almost immediately when you draw a spoon through it. Set the pan aside and allow the tomatoes to cool.
Step 6: Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Stir in the cream, then stir in the breadcrumbs and the cheese. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Step 7: Once the tomato mixture has cooled, stir in the custard mixture.
Step 8: Spoon about one-third of the mixture over the cheese in the baking dish.
Step 9: Scrunch up slices of mortadella and arrange them on top.
Step 10: Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the mortadella, taking care to cover it completely.
Step 11: Sprinkle the top of the quiche with grated cheese and arrange sliced tomatoes on top. Season them lightly with salt and black pepper.
Step 12: Bake the quiche in a preheated oven (180C / 360F) for 40 minutes until golden.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your mortadella and tomato quiche always turns out perfectly:
- The consistency of the tomato and onion mixture is important. If there is too much liquid left in the pan, the quiche will not set, and if it is too dry, the filling will become too thick. The trick is to leave just enough liquid so that it leaves a distinct trail that closes up quite quickly when you draw a spoon through it.
- When assembling the quiche, I like to put a layer of tomato and onion mixture onto the base of the pie dish before adding the mortadella. This sets as it bakes and forms a 'pastry' base and helps stop the quiche from falling to pieces when sliced.
- The slices of mortadella should be scrunched lightly before being arranged on top. Then the remaining tomato and onion mixture should be spooned slowly over the top, allowing it to seep into any crevices in the meat. Take care to cover the mortadella completely so there are no bits of meat sticking out, which would become dry and hard in the oven.
- When baking the quiche, keep your eye on it, and if it seems to be browning too much on one side, turn it around in the oven so that it cooks evenly. You can also cover it with a piece of tin foil for the last 10 minutes or so to prevent it from becoming too brown.
- The quiche will be cooked when it feels firm to the touch, and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly with nothing sticking to it.
Serving suggestions
This crustless mortadella quiche can be eaten either hot or cold.
However, it is quite soft when hot, and you will need a knife and fork to eat it. Once refrigerated, it has a much firmer texture and can be picked up in the fingers.
I like to serve it with a green salad as a light lunch or simple supper.
For a more substantial meal, it pairs well with chicken. If you have an air fryer, you might like to serve it with these air fryer chicken drumsticks; otherwise, it would make a delicious side dish for these crumbed chicken schnitzels.
Variations
These are a few ideas to vary the recipe that you might like to try:
Protein variations
- Swap the mortadella for other cured meats such as prosciutto, pancetta, chorizo or ham.
- Make it vegetarian - omit the meat entirely and add extra mushrooms, or a few roasted peppers.
- Shredded leftover chicken or turkey can also be used for a more hearty option.
Cheese variations
- Swap the cheese - try using Gruyere, Emmental or even Roquefort instead of the cheddar.
- Instead of using cheddar in the filling, stir in some ricotta, goat's cheese or your favourite cream cheese.
- Use herbed cheese such as Boursin or Philadelphia in the filling.
Herb variations
- Instead of thyme, use oregano or rosemary.
- For an Italian twist, use basil or parsley
- For a spicy option, add a touch of dried chilli flakes or paprika
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make this crustless mortadella quiche:
- 9-inch round baking dish, which is at least 1.5 inches deep. You could also use an 8-inch square dish.
- Saucepan for making the filling.
- Small mixing bowl for mixing the custard.
- Spatula or silicone spoon for stirring
Storage
You should store the mortadella quiche in the refrigerator. Cover it with tin foil or plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. It can be stored in this way for 3 to 4 days.
Because it has an egg custard base, which may split once thawed, I don't recommend freezing this quiche.
FAQ
The breadcrumbs are there to give structure to the custard so that it sets nicely. There is quite a lot of moisture in the filling, and the breadcrumbs help to absorb this.
Yes, if you would like to double the recipe (to make 2 quiches or one larger one), you can do this, but there are a couple of things to bear in mind:
- the tomato and onion mixture will take longer to cook down to the right consistency.
- if the quiche is made in a deeper dish, it may take longer to cook. Keep your eye on it and if necessary turn the oven down slightly and cover the quiche with tin foil to prevent it from browning too much.
Save for later
If you would like to make this crustless mortadella tomato and cheese quiche, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my savoury tart recipes page for other delicious tarts and quiches. Here are a few you might enjoy
📋The recipe
Crustless mortadella, cheese and tomato quiche
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- 9" round Baking dish
- Spatula
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Prepare the baking dish
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons / 10 grams Panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup / 40 grams grated cheese cheddar/mozzarella mix
Filling and custard
- 8 ounces /225 grams mortadella about 8 thin slices
- 1 large onion peeled and finely diced
- 1 pound / 450 grams fresh tomatoes peeled, deseeded, drained. and finely diced
- 4 ounces / 113 grams mushrooms wiped and sliced
- ⅔ cup / 40 grams Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 large eggs or 4 small eggs
- ½ cup / 120 ml double or heavy cream
- ½ cup / 60 grams grated cheese cheddar/mozzarella mix
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Topping
- ⅓ cup / 40 grams grated cheese cheddar / mozzarella mix
- 2 to 3 medium firm tomatoes peeled and sliced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the baking dish
- Brush the surface of the baking dish with oil and sprinkle it lightly with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle grated cheese on the base. Set it aside.1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons / 10 grams Panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup / 40 grams grated cheese
Make the filling
- Fry the onions on moderate heat in olive oil until they start to soften (3 to 4 minutes) then add the thyme and stir for a minute longer.1 large onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the chopped tomatoes, sliced mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.1 pound / 450 grams fresh tomatoes, 4 ounces / 113 grams mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- There will still be quite a lot of liquid in the pan. Remove the lid and increase the heat and stir for a further 3 to 4 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate.
- The mixture will be ready when there is still liquid in the pan and it leaves a trail that closes up almost immediately when you draw a spoon through it. Set the pan aside and allow the tomatoes to cool.
Custard
- Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Stir in the cream, then stir in the breadcrumbs and the cheese. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.⅔ cup / 40 grams Panko breadcrumbs, 3 large eggs, ½ cup / 120 ml double or heavy cream, ½ cup / 60 grams grated cheese
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
- Once the tomato mixture has cooled, stir in the custard mixture.
- Spoon about one-third of the mixture over the cheese in the baking dish.
- Scrunch up slices of mortadella and arrange them on top.8 ounces /225 grams mortadella
- Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the mortadella, taking care to cover it completely.
- Sprinkle the top of the quiche with grated cheese and arrange sliced tomatoes on top. Season them lightly with salt and black pepper.2 to 3 medium firm tomatoes, Salt and black pepper, ⅓ cup / 40 grams grated cheese
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the cheese is golden and the filling has set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Serve either warm or chilled.
Notes
- The consistency of the tomato and onion mixture is important. If there is too much liquid left in the pan, the quiche will not set, and if it is too dry, the filling will become too thick. The trick is to leave just enough liquid so that it leaves a distinct trail that closes up quite quickly when you draw a spoon through it.
- When assembling the quiche, I like to put a layer of tomato and onion mixture onto the base of the pie dish before adding the mortadella. This sets as it bakes and forms a 'pastry' base and helps stop the quiche from falling to pieces when sliced.
- The slices of mortadella should be scrunched lightly before being arranged on top. Then the remaining tomato and onion mixture should be spooned slowly over the top, allowing it to seep into any crevices in the meat. Take care to cover the mortadella completely so there are no bits of meat sticking out, which would become dry and hard in the oven.
- When baking the quiche, keep your eye on it, and if it seems to be browning too much on one side, turn it around in the oven so that it cooks evenly. You can also cover it with a piece of tin foil for the last 10 minutes or so to prevent it from becoming too brown.
- The quiche will be cooked when it feels firm to the touch, and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly with nothing sticking to it.
- You should store the mortadella quiche in the refrigerator. Cover it with tin foil or plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. It can be stored in this way for 3 to 4 days.
- Because it has an egg custard base, which may split once thawed, I don't recommend freezing this quiche.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!