An easy protein-packed dish perfect for breakfast, lunch and even dinner! Save calories by cutting out the crust and enjoy this light and fluffy quiche with a side of mixed greens and fruit! Also… a healthy dessert find I’m obsessed with (toward the bottom of the post)!
Once in a while I like to change up my scrambled egg routine and make a quiche! On special occasions I go all out and make a traditional quiche with a flaky pie crust on the bottom. However, for a regular weekday meal I really don’t want all the extra empty calories that come with the crust. Solution: omit the crust and enjoy a healthier, guilt-free quiche!
This Crustless Ham and Swiss Quiche may seem more like a frittata than quiche, but I’m still calling it quiche! Frittatas usually start on the stove-top and finish in the oven, whereas, this recipe bakes completely in the oven.
The Ingredients
You only need to pick up 4 simple ingredients at the grocery store: eggs, milk, cheese and ham! You may already have these items in your fridge right now!!
- Eggs: This is a great time to splurge on organic, free range pasture-raised eggs. Yes, they’re more expensive ($6.29/ dozen at my local store), but they’re worth it! I like that pasture-raised hens can roam freely and graze on grass. The nutritional benefit gets passed on to me!
- Milk: I actually prefer to use half and half for egg dishes like quiche because the extra fat in the cream makes the dish more filling and indulgent. However, you can use regular milk or non-dairy milk too.
- Cheese: Swiss or Gruyere is a perfect choice to pair with ham. Pick up a block of cheese and shred it yourself (in a few seconds) or buy the pre-shredded stuff. If you shred the 1/2 cup of cheese yourself you can slice up the rest of the block to snack on later, rather than having a bag of shredded cheese hanging around in your fridge indefinitely! You’ll also avoid the anti-caking cellulose powder used in the pre-shredded stuff.
- Ham: About 4-5 thin slices of deli ham (preferably nitrate and nitrate free) is all you need. If you have leftover ham from a holiday meal, this is a great way to use it up.
Ham and Swiss is a favorite filling for quiche, but you could also try crumbled bacon with cheddar cheese or sun dried tomatoes with feta cheese. Have fun experimenting with different veggies, cheeses, meats, and anything else you think of!
Easy Prep
One of the reasons I enjoy making quiche is because it’s simple! Throw your dry ingredients into a greased pie or quiche pan, whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl, pour into the pan and bake!
On The Side
Complete this healthy meal by adding greens lightly dressed with oil and vinegar (or your favorite dressing) and a side of fruit. My kids also like to have toast.
Although I prefer fresh fruit, I decided to use up a can of pineapple rings that had been sitting in my pantry for too long! (Tip: Never buy canned fruit in light or heavy syrup… there’s too much added sugar! Always look for canned fruit in 100% juice.)
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Quiche is a perfect make-ahead-meal for breakfast, brunch or lunch! When you are ready to serve, simply pull the quiche out of the fridge, cut a slice, heat in the microwave, and enjoy! Quiche is also a great option for a light dinner. My kids love it when we have “breakfast for dinner”!
Bonus TREAT!
Most days, after lunch, I like to treat myself to a serving of dark chocolate (for the antioxidants!). Today I decided to try a new treat I recently discovered at Whole Foods. Hail Merry Chocolate Almond Butter Cups. Yum! This chocolatey treat is rich, creamy, indulgent and quite filling. They come as a pack of 2, but 1 was enough for me. I saved the second one for tomorrow… or maybe I’ll be nice and share with my husband!
Sweetened with only maple syrup, this dessert also includes almond butter, almond flour, dark cocoa, organic virgin coconut oil, and sea salt. I’m sold! I will definitely by adding these to my weekly rotation! There are additional flavors, such as Key Lime, that I can’t wait to try too.
In addition to Whole Foods, I did also find the Hail Merry cups at my regular grocery store. They were near the refrigerated pudding and Jello. Since these treats are made with fresh ingredients, they must be kept refrigerated until ready to consume.
CRUSTLESS HAM AND SWISS QUICHE
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half, or milk of choice
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped ham
- ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 F and grease a 9" pie or quiche plate.
- Scatter ham and cheese evenly in pie plate.
- Whisk eggs (first) to combine yolks and whites, then add half and half. Whisk just until combined.
- Pour egg mixture evenly on top of ingredients in pie plate.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, or until firm. Cover the top with foil if it starts to get too brown.
- Season to taste with ground pepper.
Recipe Notes
PIN ME!!
