How To Make a Crustless Quiche

Making a crustless quiche is not much different than making a regular quiche. Actually it's easier, as there is one less thing to fiddle with. You do need some fat in the recipe to make it easy to remove from the pan, but unless you are making a super-low-fat version (using fat free milk, for example), you don't need to worry about greasing the pan.

Here's How:

1. Prepare the solid ingredients - sauté and season any raw meats and vegetables. About 1 to 1½ cups of these work well for one quiche - more if there is no or little cheese. About 1½ to 2 cups total solid ingredients for a 9" pie pan is about right.
2. Spread meats and vegetables into a deep-dish pie pan.
3. Spread shredded cheese on top of the other ingredients.
4. Make the custard, using either a bowl with whisk, or (my favorite) a blender. A standard quiche might use 4 eggs to 1 and 1/2 cups of liquid, and this amount works well for a deep-dish 9" pie pan. You can use cream, milk, unsweetened soy milk, or a combination. Include seasonings as desired. I usually use salt, pepper, an herb or two if not already in the pan, and perhaps some dried mustard powder.
5. Pour the custard over the solid ingredients, and put onto center rack of 375 F. oven for 30-45 minutes.
6. Begin checking at half an hour. You want the outside to be done (a knife inserted comes out clean), but the center will be soft. (It will continue to cook after removing from oven.)
7. Remove from oven. The center will cook in a few minutes. You can eat it warm, cold, or room temperature.

Tips:

1. Make sure all ingredients other than the egg are fully cooked before adding to the pan.
2. When layering ingredients, heaviest go in first, and cheese last.
3. If top is browning too fast, cover with foil.
4. Sprinkling the top with paprika is a nice touch.

What You Need:

• 9" pie pan (Pyrex works well, or dark metal. Shiny metal isn't as good.)
• Whisk or blender
• Eggs
• Other ingredients as desired