It’s finally Friday, which in my house means the holidays have really and truly begun. My kids are done with school, my in-laws are flying in from the great midwest this weekend, wrapping can no longer be avoided, and all the gingerbread cookies that we baked (and have already eaten) need to be replenished. It also means that dinner needs to be fast, good, and crowd-pleasing, so there’s more time to do all the other stuff (figuring out how many things you can combine with Bailey’s). This is where this last KEEPERS recipe comes in very handy, a quiche that redeems quiche from all those Ice Storm-era dinner party clichés.
Credit for this dish goes to Kathy, my co-author, who created a faster, crustless version, which, let’s be honest, is never the best part of a quiche to begin with. It’s also a true one pot meal (because you can’t just live off sugar cookies, can you?), containing protein and vegetables all in one delicious eggy, creamy, cheddar and broccoli concoction. If you’re having guests over, you can make it for dinner or even lunch, when it will taste even better along with a little green salad or piece of leftover Christmas ham. Enjoy–and happy holidays!!
XO
C
CRUSTLESS BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR QUICHE
MAKES ONE 10-INCH QUICHE
The chicest mom Kathy knew growing up (think Jackie O with a platinum bob) made a version of this dish. That was in the ‘70s, when quiche was all the rage, but in our minds, it defies trend. She was a busy woman, so she skipped the crust and often baked the filling in individual ramekins in advance. When dinnertime rolled around, she’d warm a few in the oven and pull out some Italian bread for an effortless and popular meal.
Aside from blanching the broccoli, the quiche can be assembled in minutes. If you prefer to use frozen broccoli, there’s no need to blanch it; just thaw and pat dry.
Unsalted butter for greasing the pie dish
Salt
3 cups small broccoli florets (from about 1 large head of broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
Pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Pepper
–Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Butter a 10-inch glass pie dish, then set aside.
– Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season it generously with salt; it should taste like seawater. When it returns to a boil, add the broccoli and gently boil, stirring once or twice, until just crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, then thoroughly pat dry and scatter over the bottom of the pie dish. Scatter the cheese evenly over top.
– In a 1-quart measuring cup (see Tip) or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste until smooth, then pour over the cheese. Bake until the custard is just set in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. (Don’t worry if the center is a little trembly; it will cook a little more as it rests.) Let cool slightly before serving.
TIP: For convenience, we use a 4-cup measuring cup to measure all of the ingredients for the quiche, ending with the custard, which we whisk right in the cup. First, measure the broccoli, then the cheese. Next, measure the 1 cup milk, add enough cream to reach 12/3 cups, then add the eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Whisk together, then pour the custard into the dish.
