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This crustless quiche has 35 grams of protein per serving and takes about 70 minutes from oven to plate. The protein comes from eggs, cottage cheese, and sharp cheddar, not a scoop of powder, so it tastes like an actual quiche instead of a protein shake with eggs in it.
I started making this one on Sunday prep days because it reheats for breakfast all week and nobody in this house misses the crust. Cottage cheese sounds like a strange add here, but once it’s blended into the eggs you can’t pick out the curds. It just makes the whole thing richer and pushes the protein number up without another egg.
Broccoli needs to be really dry before it goes into the eggs. If you skip the saute step and just add raw chopped broccoli, the quiche weeps water in the oven and you end up with a soggy layer at the bottom of the dish. Five minutes in a skillet fixes that.
Bake it until the center stops jiggling and the internal temp hits 165°F / 74°C. Pull it too early and the middle stays wet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delivers 35g of protein per serving from real food
- No crust to roll out or blind bake
- Reheats well for breakfast all week
- Cottage cheese keeps the custard moist without extra eggs
Ingredient Notes
- eggs: Use large eggs straight from the fridge, they whisk up fine cold. This is where most of the structure and protein comes from.
- cottage cheese: Adds protein and moisture without changing the flavor once it’s whisked smooth. Ricotta works as a substitute but drops the protein a bit.
- cheddar cheese: Grate it yourself off a block. Bagged shredded cheddar has a starch coating that keeps it from melting as smoothly into the custard.
- broccoli: Fresh florets work best. Frozen broccoli can be used if you thaw and squeeze it very dry first, or it waters down the eggs.
- whole milk: Keeps the custard from being too dense. Half-and-half works too if you want it richer.
Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Rub 1 tsp of the butter over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch / 23 cm deep pie dish.
- Melt the remaining butter in a 10-inch / 25 cm skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and broccoli to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the broccoli turns bright green and just tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for about a minute until the yolks and whites are fully combined.
- Add the cottage cheese and milk to the eggs. Whisk for another minute until mostly smooth, small curds are fine.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar, the cooled broccoli mixture, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over the top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set and no longer jiggly and the edges are puffed and light golden. Check with an instant-read thermometer, the center should read 165 F / 74 C.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. This lets the custard finish setting so the slices hold their shape.
Notes
- Pat sauteed broccoli dry with paper towel before mixing into eggs
- Check internal temp at 165°F / 74°C in the center, not the edge
- Rest 10 minutes before slicing for clean wedges
- Grate cheddar from a block for smoother melting
Tips for Success
- Squeeze excess water from cooked broccoli with a paper towel before adding it to the eggs, or the custard turns watery.
- Whisk the eggs and cottage cheese together for a full minute so the curds break down and blend smoothly into the custard.
- Use an instant-read thermometer and pull the quiche at 165°F / 74°C measured in the center, not the edges.
- Let the quiche rest 10 minutes before slicing so the eggs finish setting and wedges hold their shape.
- Grate the cheddar yourself off a block instead of using bagged shreds, which melt less smoothly because of the anti-caking coating.
Variations
- Swap broccoli for chopped spinach or asparagus, squeezing out the same amount of water before mixing it into the eggs.
- Use pepper jack instead of cheddar and add a diced jalapeno for a spicier version of the same base recipe.
- Stir in 4 ounces of diced ham or cooked bacon for extra protein and a smokier, saltier bite.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover quiche covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. It’s sturdy enough to slice cold for a quick breakfast on the way out the door.
To reheat, place a wedge on a sheet pan and warm it in a 325°F / 165°C oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until heated through. A microwave works too, about 60 to 90 seconds on medium power, though the edges stay softer than oven reheating.
To freeze, wrap individual cooled slices tightly in plastic and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
A simple green salad or sliced tomatoes on the side cuts through the richness of the cheddar and eggs. Toast with butter turns it into a full breakfast plate.
For dinner, I’ll put a wedge next to roasted potatoes or a bowl of soup when the Duluth winter makes anything lighter feel like a bad idea.
It also holds up fine at room temperature for an hour, so it works for a brunch spread without a chafing dish.
FAQ
Why is my crustless broccoli cheddar quiche watery in the middle?
This usually means the broccoli wasn’t cooked and dried before you added it, or the quiche came out of the oven too soon. Raw or wet broccoli releases water as it bakes and pools at the bottom. Sautee the broccoli for 3 minutes and pat it dry, then bake until the center hits 165°F / 74°C and stops jiggling.
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese in this quiche?
Yes, ricotta works as a 1-to-1 swap for the cottage cheese. It has a smoother texture from the start, so you’ll skip the extra whisking needed to break down cottage cheese curds. The protein count drops slightly since ricotta runs a bit lower in protein per cup, so expect closer to 32 grams a serving instead of 35.
Can I freeze this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche?
Yes, wrap cooled slices individually in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a 325°F / 165°C oven for 12 to 15 minutes until warmed through. The texture stays close to fresh since eggs and cheddar freeze better than a lot of custard-based dishes.
What goes with crustless broccoli cheddar quiche for breakfast?
A simple green salad or fruit on the side balances the richness of the eggs and cheddar. I serve it with sliced tomatoes and toast when we want something more filling, or just black coffee on a rushed weekday morning. It also works for dinner alongside roasted potatoes.
Is this crustless quiche gluten free?
Yes, this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche is naturally gluten free since there’s no pastry crust and no flour in the egg mixture. Just double check your cottage cheese and shredded cheddar labels, since some brands add anti-caking starches that aren’t always gluten free.
What’s the difference between this crustless quiche and a regular quiche with a crust?
The main difference is texture and time. A crustless quiche skips the pastry shell, so it bakes faster and has a softer, more custard-forward bite instead of a flaky bottom. This version also has more protein per slice than a traditional crusted quiche because of the added cottage cheese and extra cheddar.
