I was always under the impression that Quiche is a difficult food to make well. My husband was of the opinion that something with such a sissy name (his words, not mine) couldn't possibly taste good.



This crustless quiche debuted on my table recently (under the name of baked eggs & meat) to great acclaim. It is a quick recipe and infinitely adaptable, perfect for a brunch or even a low carb dinner option with a green salad side. Start with this basic recipe and tweak as you please:

Preheat oven to 425°F (230C) with rack in middle. Grease a 10-inch (25cm) quiche or pie plate, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. I crushed some stale heels of Italian bread I had stashed in the freezer.



Sauté onions in butter until pale. If you are using a meat filling, add to the onions to heat through. Add evenly to the quiche plate and sprinkle cheese on top. I compromised with my family and made one half prosciutto and the other half basil & sundried tomato, spreading the onions first over the entire surface (the vegetarian side needs the personality the onion delivers).

Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and pepper and pour over cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes until top is golden and custard is set in center (a richer recipe bakes more quickly; the low fat versions need extra time). Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.



I created this base recipe from one I modified from Epicurious.com , freely making use of the suggestions posted in the comments. There are endless ways to tweak it depending on what you have on hand.

Lower fat: substitute half & half cream for heavy cream, lowfat milk for whole milk. Your quiche may turn out a little more watery in this case.

Glucose free: use crushed corn tortilla chips instead of bread crumbs

Low cholesterol: try Egg Beater equivalents instead of real eggs. An egg-white only quiche is not recommended, but you can try skipping several of the yolks for a compromise.

Flavor pairings:
* fresh chopped basil & sundried tomatoes (this is what I made here)
* wilted spinach & feta with a dash of oregano
* sauteed asparagus spears & Portobello mushrooms with a dash of marjoram
* sundried tomatoes & artichoke hearts with a minced, sauteed clove of garlic

Use up the last of your prosciutto, or swap for raclette or emmentaler cheese for added punch. Get milder flavor with goat cheese, and add a dash of nutmeg to keep it interesting.

Offer some variety by dividing the recipe into large muffin tins or ramekins, each with a different flavor pairing!

Article and photos by Claire Rahn