Creamy Crustless Quiche

It’s that time of year and the Willow Weavers of the annual Willow Gathering were again in town for a week and I was able to witness their beautiful creations-in-progress while feeding them throughout the classes. I am always amazed at the sculptures that can be constructed using leaves and sticks—a skill that these artists are helping to pass along as well as evolve.

These adorable beaver awls were carved and made by the teacher and brought from her home in the Pacific Northwest for people to use and adopt, along with the beavers that nested in the den atop these sweetgrass boxes. The room was heady with the heavenly smell of willow and sweetgrass together.

I finally have a snippet of time in between catering blitzes but have been fairly worthless when it comes to anything other than recovering. So how to post about food when I’m too busy cooking it or recovering from cooking it?? I was at a loss for new recipes to share with you, but then thought of this crustless quiche that I have catered three times in the last few weeks and the rave reviews make me want to share the dairy-loving dish. I have loosely used the term ‘frittata’ for it but I think technically fritattas are started in a pan on the stovetop (‘frittata’ means ‘fried’) and finished in the oven, so for this I’ll call it a crustless quiche.

No photos of this dish were taken during the events but fortunately there are plenty of basket creations upon which you can feast your eyes instead of a pile of eggs!

I have only made this in catering quantities using what in the world of commercial kitchens they call ‘half pans’ or a half of a hotel pan. A full hotel pan fits into a standard chafing dish or steam table and a half hotel is exactly that, half of a full. You can also get ‘third pans’ (three fit into a chafing dish), ‘quarter pans’, ‘sixth pans’ and ‘ninth pans’, all of which you can fit into a chafing dish or steam table with whatever variation is needed to complete the whole.

A ‘half pan’ measures 10 3/8 x 12 3/4 inches with straight edges and a choice of 2 inches, 4 inches, or 6 inches deep. I think of it as slightly larger than a 9×13 pan so I’ll give both the half hotel pan recipe and a 3/4 conversion to fit a smaller dish.

You could take this dish in many directions with various seasonal ingredients, the main interesting additions are the cream cheese and the sour cream giving it an even more creamy texture with a little tangy tweak. Enjoy!

Creamy Crustless Quiche

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour

For a Half-Hotel Pan, cut into 12 large pieces or 15 medium pieces

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Whisk: 

4 cups (16) Eggs

Cream together in a bowl:

8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Sour Cream

Whisk the cream mixture into the eggs and add:

1/2 – 1 teaspoon Salt, depending on your salt preferences

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

scant 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Sauté in a pan for 3-4 minutes:

Olive Oil

3/4 cup mixture of Red Peppers and Onions, small diced (or other veggies of your choice)

Add in and sauté for another minute:

2 cups Greens, chopped (Kale or Spinach)

a dash of Salt and Pepper

Oil a half hotel pan

On the bottom of the pan spread evenly:

The Veggies

3/4 pound Cheese, grated (Jarlsberg, or a mixture of Jarlsberg and Sharp Cheddar or Smokey Gouda)

(Optional) 1 teaspoons dry or 1 Tablespoon fresh Herbs of your choice—Basil, Thyme, etc.

Pour in the egg-cream mix and gently stir things around to even out the eggs, cheese and veggies so they are evenly distributed. 

Bake at 375 degrees for around 45 minutes – 1 hour, check after 30 minutes and rotate in the oven. 

My guess for a 9″ x 13″ pan, cut into 9 large or 12 medium pieces

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk:

3 cups (12) Eggs

Cream together in a bowl:

6 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Sour Cream

Whisk the cream mixture into the eggs and add:

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon Salt, depending on your salt preferences

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Sauté in a pan for 3-4 minutes:

Olive Oil

2/3 cup mixture of Red Peppers and Onions, small diced (or other veggies of your choice)

Add in and sauté for another minute:

1 1/2 cups Greens, chopped (Kale or Spinach)

A dash of Salt and Pepper

Oil a 9×13 pan

On the bottom of the pan spread evenly:

The Veggies

2/3 pound Cheese, grated (Jarlsberg, or a mixture of Jarlsberg and Sharp Cheddar or Smokey Gouda)

(Optional) 3/4 teaspoons dry or 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh Herbs of your choice—Basil, Thyme, etc.

Pour in the egg-cream mix and gently stir things around to even out the eggs, cheese and veggies so they are evenly distributed. 

Bake at 375 degrees for around 45 minutes, check after 25 minutes and rotate in the oven. 

More amazing creations, including a bike pannier and a bird feeder—no end to what can be created from plants.

“Baskets forever; housework whenever!”

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– Poppy Hatinger