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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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
I love making quiche in the summer it’s great for taking on picnics. Definitely trying this recipe this year!
I love quiche in summer and it’s definitely something to take with me when I get invited..
What a delicious sounding quiche! I love that flavour combo 🙂
Thank you Amy
It looks so good! My kids would love that it’s crustless, I’m going to try it
Thanks Amy. I love crustless too!
I am always looking for unique ways to use swiss chard. This looks phenomenal!!
Thank you Tiffany. You will love this.
I love using cottage cheese with egg dishes too – so delicious! I’ll have to try swiss chard. My husband refuses to eat anything with cooked spinach – I cant even hide it! But he’ll eat fresh spinach in salads – so weird, LOL!
Absolutely Jill – cottage cheese in quiches and such dishes are so perfect.
Crust-less quiche sounds great idea. Healthy plus great breakfast. Good share.
Thank you Savita.
I’m loving the addition of the Swiss chard and healthy means I can have a larger piece.
Thank you Jenette
I love making quiche and this sounds really easy. I’ve never tried it with Swiss chard but going give it a try.
It really is very easy Stephanie
I love a crustless quiche for a low carb option. Great idea to add Swiss chars to it.
Thank you Dannii. I hope you try this.
There are so many things to love about the quiche! Like the fact it’s crustless, can be made in stages and saves some calories!
Thank you Ellen. Yes we love crustless quiches too