Crustless Swiss Chard Quiche
Quick, no-crust or crustless quiches are the new trend these days. This simple and easy recipe for crustless Swiss chard quiche is made with sautéed Swiss chard, cottage cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect when you want a light and healthy but impressive bake.
One of my challenges with healthy eating in this family is greens. While the kids will munch on broccoli without any fuss, somehow the greens need a bit of masking. That goes not just with the kids but Ziv too! Yup, hubby can be a big baby when it comes to leaves. He has a mental allergy towards them. BUT, greens are a necessary evil for the body (that’s what mom used to say)
So the only way I approach it is to make it less obvious. Often they go in wraps, quiches, tortillas, and of course, soup!!
This quiche is so versatile and works great not just with Swiss chard. I’ve made it with a few other greens too! The best part? It’s simple, easy, and effortless for me.
About this quiche
I prefer to call this my crustless quiche in three easy steps.
- Step 1 – Prepare Swiss Chard mixture – this can be done in advance
In fact, you can make this at the beginning of the week. Then prepare the quiche for dinner on the day you need it.
If you have extra Swiss chard lying around and have no time to use it, prepare this mix, cool it, and save it in the freezer. - Step II – Prepare Cheese Mixture – This gets done in two minutes because it’s as simple as whisking them in a bowl.
- Step III – Assemble and Bake!! Assembling takes 2 minutes, and the quiche takes about 30 minutes to bake.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Swiss Chard – I’ve used only Swiss chard in this recipe, but if you prefer, you can make a combination of spinach and Swiss chard. You can even use all spinach or a combination of your favorites, like leeks.
- Cottage Cheese – I like using cottage cheese as it adds more body to the mixture and, of course, is healthier compared to cream for a weekday dinner. But by all means, if you prefer the richness of cream, go ahead and substitute the cottage cheese with half the amount of cream (in this case, 1/2 cup)
- Cheese – I’ve used a combination of Cheddar, Gouda, and a hint of Parmesan. Gouda and Parmesan are a bit stronger in flavor, so they do a great job of emphasizing the cheese flavor without adding too much. Cheddar is a class of its own, and one I have on hand all the time. It works great with quiches and pies because the flavor is always perfect.
- Milk – I have substituted the milk with Coconut milk and it’s yum.. with a coconut flavor of course. I know a friend who uses Almond milk in all her quiches instead of milk, but I have not tried that yet.
Step-by-step: Crustless Swiss chard quiche
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃ (Gas Mark 4). Spray a 9″ Pie pan or quiche pan with cooking spray.
- Swiss card – Clean, wash, and pat dry the Swiss chard. Remove the stalks and chop them into small pieces. Roll up the leaves and chop them relatively small, too. Set aside
- Sauté – In a deep sauté pan, add olive oil and sauté the chopped onions, Swiss chard stalks, and garlic for a minute or two until onions are translucent. Add the leaves and cook on medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat up and let all the moisture dry out. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Pro tip – It is important to ensure all the liquid is evaporated; otherwise, the quiche won’t set. - Custard mixture – Combine eggs, cottage cheese, milk, and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to ensure everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper (note – there is salt in the cheeses, so go easy on the salt)
- Assemble – Spread the dry bread crumbs at the bottom of the pan, followed by the sautéed Swiss chard mixture on top. Carefully pour the cheese mixture evenly over the bread and generously top with grated cheese. Grate the fresh nutmeg.
Pro tip – Ensure that everything is evenly distributed in the pan so it cooks evenly. - Bake – Place the pan on a baking tray and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes. The top should look set – the middle with a slight jiggle. It will set further as it cools
- Rest – Let the quiche rest for at least 20 minutes before you cut. A cooled pie will help the custard set and slice better.
- Easy Swiss Chard Patties
- Kidney Beans Patties (Vegan)
- Goat cheese spinach strudel
- Spinach Potato Patties
- Sauteed asparagus or sesame green beans
- Crispy baked parmesan roasted potatoes.
- Garlic dinner rolls or Focaccia
- Kidney beans patties, Spinach potato patties
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, try spinach, collard greens. Both work beautifully with this recipe.
Yes, you can use store-bought pie dough/pâte brisée. Just roll store-bought pie crust or use my homemade pie crust recipe.
Dock it, chill it, and blind-bake.
I have given you detailed instructions above with baking times, too.
Any cheese you enjoy will work great with this recipe. I like to use a sharp Swiss cheese for my quiches, but I am a huge fan of goat cheese, so often I will switch to using all goat cheese. Gruyere, Emmantle, a little Parmesan, and even a little sprinkle of feta are wonderful. A mix of cheeses works well to blend the flavors so none are overpowering.
I usually serve all my quiches warm because I don’t like fridge-cold quiche. Oven-hot quiche won’t make impressive wedges either.
As a rule, I let the quiche cool for about 30 minutes before serving. The egg mixture cools just enough so it cuts into beautiful and impressive servings.
You can store any leftover quiche wrapped well in the fridge. You can heat it in the microwave for up to a minute or until warm.
Frozen quiche can be baked from frozen for about 20 minutes at 170 °C (340 °F).
Swiss Chard Quiche – Crustless
Quick, no-crust or crustless quiches are the new trends these days. This simple and easy recipe for crustless swiss chard quiche is made with sauteed Swiss chard, cottage, and sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect when you want a light and healthy but impressive bake.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) Swiss chard chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ med Red Spanish onion chopped
- 1 large Garlic clove minced
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper powder
- 3 large Eggs
- 4 tbsp (30 g) All-purpose flour or almond flour
- 1 cup (210 g) Cottage cheese
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whole Milk or almond milk/coconut milk work too
- 3 tbsp (15 g) Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper powder
- 1 cup (115 g) Grated cheese Swiss, Cheddar, Monterey Jack
- 2 tbsp Dry breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp Grated nutmeg
Method
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃Gas Mark 4. Spray a 9" Pie or quiche pan with cooking spray.
- Swiss card – Clean, wash, and pat dry the Swiss chard. Remove the stalks and chop them into small pieces. Roll up the leaves and chop them relatively small, too. Set aside8 oz Swiss chard
- Saute – In a deep sauté pan, add olive oil and sauté the chopped onions, Swiss chard stalks, and garlic for a minute or two until onions are translucent. Add the leaves and cook on medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat up and let all the moisture dry out. Remove from the pan and keep warm.1 tbsp Olive oil , ½ med Red Spanish onion, 1 large Garlic clove, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, ½ tsp Black Pepper powder
- Custard mixture – Combine eggs, cottage cheese, milk, flour, and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to ensure everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper (note – there is salt in the cheeses, so go easy on the salt)3 large Eggs, 4 tbsp All-purpose flour, 1 cup Cottage cheese, 1 cup Whole Milk, 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, ½ tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp Black pepper powder
- Assemble – Spread the dry bread crumbs at the bottom of the pan, followed by the sautéed Swiss chard mixture on top. Carefully pour the cheese mixture evenly and generously top with grated cheese. Grate the fresh nutmeg and a little more breadcrumbs.1 cup Grated cheese, 1/4 tsp Grated nutmeg , 2 tbsp Dry breadcrumbs
- Bake – Place the pan on a baking tray and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes. The top should look set – the middle with a slight jiggle. It will set further as it cools.
- Rest – Let the quiche rest for at least 20 minutes before you cut. A cooled pie will help the custard set and slice better.
Notes
- Wash the Swiss chard well in lots of running water. Leaves often have mud stuck to them.
- Chop the Swiss chard leaves relatively small and make sure to chop the stalks finely. Large pieces of vegetables will make a very crumbly quiche.
- The Swiss chard mixture can be made and kept in the fridge.
- Similarly, the egg mixture can be made and kept in the fridge.
- When baking, the center may be slightly wobbly, but it must still be set and all cooked.
Swiss Chard Quiche with crust
Suppose you choose to make this with a crust. You can use ready-to-roll pie dough or use my homemade pie crust recipe.- Prepare the pie crust pastry – chill and
- Roll and line a quiche pan – Chill the pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 380°F.
- Dock the pastry and blind bake with baking beans for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking beans and let the crust cool slightly.
- Gently pour the quiche mixture.
- Bake the quiche for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is lightly colored and the mixture looks set.
- If necessary, tent the edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield to prevent it from becoming too brown.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Just made this last week and it was really tasty. Made it for some family guest and they could not believe it was swiss chard. Thank you for such a delicious and healthy recipe. Was really simple and easy.
Thank you Kenny. Happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much.
I’m very partial to quiches. They are so versatile and an excellent dish for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner. And you’re right! What a great way to sneak in some extra veggies. It looks so good I can’t believe it doesn’t have a crust. A great recipe when I’m trying to save on calories. I’m pinning.
Thanks Marisa. Absolutely a great way to add some extra veggies. I love crustless cause let’s face it though I love crust my waist hates it.
Looks delicious! We are big fans of greens and cheese with eggs!
Yeah I know what you mean. My kids gobble quiche so I tend to add the good stuff in there. Thanks
I’d never thought of adding cottage cheese to quiche! It sounds like a delicious addition, and your quiche is gorgeous. 🙂
I like adding cottage cheese Raia… it’s thick so I do not need to add more egg to balance the milk lol
Quiches are great for brunch, or dinner with a salad. Kale is perfect, and I love the “no curst” version. Makes for a healthier version of a classic dish.
Yup.. love Kale too! I love crustless makes my work a little less minus the calories
I love the idea of adding Swiss chard to a quiche! My husband is also a bit picky about vegetables and greens, they have to be prepared a certain way for him to like them, haha! We used to grow Swiss chard in my mom’s garden when we were growing up and I remember eating it straight from the garden – I loved it!
Thanks Sarah..!! I love Swiss Chard too! I do think that compared to other greens it does have a distinct flavor. I usually succeed in adding spinach and leeks without Ziv or Aadi asking what’s in? But when I add Swiss Chard.. they will always ask… what is that taste in there?
I love crustless quiches but I might try to figure out a substitution for the bread crumbs and flour so it would be completely gluten-free. It looks and sounds delicious though!
Ah – I think you can omit the bread crumbs Amy.. that just helps by adding body and getting nice pretty slices.. I’m sure you could use almond flour or coconut flour for a gluten free version.
What a delicious way to spend breakfast. I think it would be delicious with the addition of spinach. Yum.
Yes it would definitely work great with spinach too!
Your recipe goes perfectly with my declaration to cut down on carbs and up my greens, in the most delicious way!
SO glad to hear that Dan.. I too have decided to up the greens this year..
Wow, this quiche looks amazing. And it requires only 40 minutes to get ready! Thanks for the recipe!
You are very welcome Igor. yes it’s really quick