Crustless mushroom, cheese and spinach quiche

If you're looking for a quick and easy low-carb meal that's packed with flavour but takes hardly any effort, this delicious crustless mushroom, cheese and spinach quiche is just what you need. It tastes amazing served either hot or cold, and the best part is you can have it in the oven in just 20 minutes!

Jump to:

• Recipe at a glance
• What is a crustless quiche?
• Why I think you'll love this crustless quiche recipe
• Ingredients for this easy crustless quiche
• How to make a crustless mushroom and spinach quiche
• Tips for a successful outcome
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storing and freezing
• FAQ
• Save for later
• Similar recipes
• 📋The recipe

What is a crustless quiche?

A crustless quiche is exactly what it sounds like - a classic quiche filling, baked without a pastry base! The filling is held together by covering it with a simple egg and cream (or milk) custard and baking it until set.

Because there's no pastry involved, this crustless quiche recipe is much quicker to make than a traditional quiche - simply prepare the filling, mix the custard, pour everything into an ovenproof dish and bake until golden and set.

You can either eat it hot (or warm) with a fork, or leave it to chill until it sets firmly enough to slice, and eat it with your fingers.

A crustless quiche can be made with whatever ingredients you think would go well together. For this particular quiche, I've used mushrooms, spinach, cheese and onions, but there are plenty more variations on my site. You might like to try one of these easy crustless quiche recipes:

• Crustless tomato quiche - fresh and tasty, this is my go-to recipe when the annual glut of tomatoes makes its appearance on the allotment.
• Crustless ham and cheese quiche - this quiche also includes sweetcorn, and it's ideal for slicing and popping into a lunchbox.
• Crustless vegetable quiche - this is absolutely packed with vegetables and makes a delicious lunch.

Why I think you'll love this crustless quiche recipe

• 🕒 Quick to make - 20 minutes maximum, and it's in the oven.
• 🥣 Easy prep - just mix the filling and pour it over the custard. No pastry to roll out.
• 🌿 Packed with vegetables - with spinach, mushrooms, and onions, there's plenty of goodness in this quiche.
• 👇Low in carbs / high in protein - no pastry and lots of eggs and cheese mean that this is a low-carb/high-protein quiche.
• 🌾 Naturally gluten-free!

Ingredients for this easy crustless quiche

**You can find the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**

Filling

• Baby spinach. Spinach is loaded with iron, Vitamins A and K and folic acid. If you wash the spinach, make sure to pat it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Wet spinach introduces extra moisture to the filling and may lead to the quiche 'weeping' after a day or two in the refrigerator.
• Mushrooms. Mushrooms are naturally low in calories and fat while providing B vitamins and fibre. Use your favourite variety. I had some baby portobello mushrooms which needed using up, but they do tend to make the filling slightly darker in colour (but with no change in taste). My preference is for chestnut or cremini mushrooms.
• Onions. These are a good source of Vitamin C, B6 and B9, and have the added benefit of being low in fat. You can use either white or red onions for this recipe, and they should be peeled and sliced.
• Cheese. This is high in protein, an excellent source of calcium, and provides Vitamins A, B2, B12 and K2. You will need a good quality cooking cheese such as cheddar or a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella, although any cheese that grates well and melts easily can be used. The cheese is used both in the filling and to sprinkle over the assembled quiche before it goes in the oven.
• Fresh thyme. In my book, thyme and mushrooms are a match made in heaven (see this recipe for a delicious thyme-flavoured mushroom galette - it's yummy!). Even a small amount of thyme adds Vitamins C, A and K, along with iron, manganese and calcium.
• Butter. This is used to soften the vegetables and provides a much nicer flavour to the filling than you would get from using vegetable oil.
• Salt and black pepper (not pictured). This is to your own taste. I find a light seasoning of salt and black pepper in both the filling and the custard brings out the flavour of the ingredients. It's your choice whether to use it or not.

Custard

• Eggs. Eggs provide protein, amino acids and Vitamin D. They help keep you fuller for longer, helping you avoid snacking between meals. I used 4 large eggs in this recipe, which is roughly equal to one cup of eggs.
• Cream. I used half a cup of double (or heavy) cream because that is what I had in the refrigerator, but thinned it down with half a cup of milk. You could use a full cup of single (or pouring) cream instead, or use half and half.
• Mustard. I used Dijon mustard as it provides a mild taste without overpowering the other ingredients. For a sharper taste, use English mustard instead.

How to make a crustless mushroom and spinach quiche

This easy crustless quiche is simple to make. Just follow these step-by-step instructions:

Tips for a successful outcome

Here are my top tips to ensure your crustless spinach quiche always turns out perfectly:

• Take your time softening the onions and mushrooms, and keep the heat on low to moderate so they don't burn. The onions should soften and turn translucent, and the mushrooms should release their juices. They will all finish cooking in the oven.
• If the spinach has released a lot of moisture once it's wilted, stir it over moderate heat without the lid for a minute or two to allow the moisture to evaporate.
• Allow the spinach mixture to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the grated cheese so the cheese doesn't melt.
• When you pour the beaten egg and cream custard over the filling, use a fork to lightly move the filling around so the custard can penetrate evenly.
• All ovens are different, so check the quiche for doneness after 30 minutes. It should feel firm to the touch, with a deep, golden-brown colour. If it's not quite ready, leave it for a further 5 minutes.
• Allow the quiche to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before attempting to slice it. This gives the quiche time to set, and makes it easier to cut clean slices.

Variations

The basic crustless quiche recipe is a great recipe to play around with - you can use it as a starting point for whatever you have available in the refrigerator.

• Change the cheese. Using a different cheese completely changes the flavour profile - for example, experiment with feta (Mediterranean vibe), goat's cheese (sharp and creamy), gruyere (sweet and nutty).
• Play with the vegetables. Swap the onions for leeks, add roasted bell peppers or cherry tomatoes for extra colour and taste, or swap the spinach for broccoli florets. Just make sure any vegetables with a high water content are cooked first to avoid a watery quiche.
• Use different herbs. Swapping the thyme with other herbs makes a huge difference. Try chopped parsley, chives, basic or oregano.
• Add some protein. For a more substantial quiche, try adding chopped ham, shredded chicken or even smoked salmon to the filling. Why not take a look at this crustless mortadella, cheese and tomato quiche?

Equipment

These are the main items of equipment you will need for this crustless vegetarian quiche:

• To make the filling, you will need a large frying pan or saucepan.
• For mixing the custard, you will need a large jug - I just use my Pyrex measuring jug.
• To bake the quiche, you will need an ovenproof 9" (23-cm) quiche dish which is 1.5 to 2 inches ( 3 to 5 cm) deep.

Storing and freezing

• Refrigerator. The baked quiche should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 to 4 days, but will start to 'weep' and become unappetising after that.
• Freezing. Allow the quiche to cool, then slice it into portions and wrap each portion in cling film or foil. This makes reheating much easier. Otherwise, wrap the entire quiche in cling film or foil before freezing. In either case, freeze for up to 3 months.
• Note - it is not recommended to freeze the assembled unbaked quiche. The filling contains eggs, cream, and high moisture vegetables (mushrooms and spinach), which can lead to a watery or grainy texture if the quiche is frozen and defrosted before being baked.
• Defrosting, Defrost slices for a few hours, or the entire frozen quiche, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating. This quiche is delicious served either hot or cold. If you do want to reheat it, the easiest way is to reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. You can also reheat the quiche in the oven at 160C/320F for 10 to 15 minutes.

FAQ

Save for later

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Similar recipes

Visit my savoury tart recipes page for other similar recipes. Here are a few you might enjoy:

📋The recipe

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