December 17, 2020

Mushroom Pepper Feta Crustless Quiche

Looking for an easy healthy egg dish for breakfast or brunch? Try this veggie-filled baked mushroom crustless quiche with red peppers, feta and arugula.

I used to be a sweet breakfast person. Give me waffles, berry oatmeal or muffins. But now I always go savory first, specifically eggs. Whether scrambled, hard-boiled or poached, I love them in pretty much any form.

Baking eggs is a simple way to incorporate a combination of interesting vegetables. That’s why I am such a big fan of whipping up a frittata or quiche. And I will eat them for breakfast, lunch and even dinner.

With this mushroom quiche recipe, I realize I really bend the rules on the classic definition, but I like doing a lighter version that’s more approachable and uncomplicated to make.

Crustless quiche with mushrooms, peppers and feta

A Healthy Veggie Quiche Recipe

What makes this quiche different? First of all, I skip the pie crust. While I absolutely adore pastry. I would rather save it for dessert than for my breakfast. I do still bake it in a pie dish.

But wait, isn’t this a frittata? You can think of a frittata like a crustless quiche, but there are some differences. A frittata starts on the stove in a skillet with the eggs and then it is baked in a pan. With a quiche, the eggs are fully cooked in the oven. Also, a quiche has more milk mixed into the eggs than a frittata. Because of this, quiche tends to turn our softer and fluffier. Frittatas are firmer.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This is what you need for the quiche:

Mushrooms: I use sliced cremini mushrooms. They are a slightly aged version of white button mushrooms, which you can use instead if that’s all you have. I think cremini mushrooms are more interesting. Shiitakes are another good choice.
Roasted red peppers: Head to the Italian section in the global food aisle at the grocery and get a jar of roasted red peppers. I do love roasting my own, but these are such a great timesaver.
Feta is my cheese of choice, but you can swap it out and crumble in goat cheese if that’s what you have in your fridge.
Shallots are the starting point of the filling. They turn soft and translucent as you sauté them in olive oil.
Garlic: To go with the shallots, I include a minced garlic clove.
Arugula: For greens, I like peppery arugula leaves, but if you prefer spinach, go with that.
Parsley adds fresh herby flavor in the filling and as a garnish.
Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the vegetables for the filling. There’s no butter involved.
Eggs: The recipe calls for 5 large eggs.
Milk: You can use any type, dairy or non-dairy. Most quiches use for heavy cream for the custard mixture in the filling, but this is another easy substitution to make it lighter.
Salt & Pepper is so important for seasoning all egg dishes.

Saute the veggie filling on the stove. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a bowl.

Assemble the quiche in the pie dish. Add the veggie filling. Then pour in the egg mixture.

How To Make A Crustless Quiche

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch diameter pie dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the veggie filling. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the shallots, letting them start to soften. Then add the mushrooms, sautéing them for about 5 minutes, so they start to caramelize. After that, add the red peppers and garlic. I save the garlic to the end, so it doesn’t burn in the skillet. Then finish with the arugula and parsley. The greens will wilt quickly.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Assemble the quiche. Spoon most of the veggie filling into the pie pan. Save about 1/3 cup. Then add half the feta. Layer in the egg mixture and top with the remaining veggies and remaining cheese.
Bake the quiche until it is just set in the middle, about 40-45 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

What To Serve With Quiche

I pair the quiche with a simple mixed greens salad. This is where you can see how it is appropriate at any meal during the day. It’s a great option for a main dish.

Since it is crustless, I like serving it with a good loaf of artisan bread. You can toast it or not, it’s up to you.

Leftovers

Even though you may think of this as an entertaining recipe, the leftovers are great, so don’t hesitate to put it to use for meal prep.

I’m not one to rewarm eggs. My preference is to eat quiche leftovers cold from the fridge. When you reheat eggs, they tend to get rubbery. If you don’t want to eat a slice straight from the refrigerator, roughly chop it and toss it into a salad.

More Baked Egg Recipes

Mini Spinach Frittatas
Spicy Roasted Vegetable Egg Cups
Spinach Feta Egg White Bites
Roasted Pepper Frittata with Black Beans

Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!