Awesome Mushroom Crust Quiche

This quiche flips the rulebook by ditching pastry entirely. Sauteed mushrooms mixed with crushed saltines press into the pie pan as a savory, earthy crust that holds together by butter alone. Bake it and you get the structure of a quiche without the time-consuming pie dough.

The filling is its own innovation. Cottage cheese blended smooth with eggs and cayenne in a blender replaces the standard cream-and-egg custard. The blender pulverizes the cottage cheese curds into something silky, while the eggs hold it all together. The texture comes out fluffier and lighter than a heavy-cream quiche, with about half the fat.

A generous layer of shredded Monterey Jack or Swiss between the mushroom crust and the egg filling browns into golden pockets as it bakes.

The 10 to 15 minute rest before cutting is not optional. Hot quiche shatters under the knife. Resting lets the custard finish setting from carryover heat and slices cleanly into wedges.

Pro Tips

• Use crimini or baby bella mushrooms instead of white button. Their deeper, meatier flavor stands up to the cheese and eggs.
• Pat sauteed mushrooms with a paper towel before mixing with crackers. Excess moisture makes the crust soggy.
• Don’t skip the cayenne. The tiny amount lifts the dairy-heavy filling and prevents it from tasting flat.

Variations

• Stir in ½ cup of cooked spinach (squeezed dry) with the onions for a Florentine version.
• Swap Monterey Jack for sharp white cheddar for a punchier savory bite.
• Add 4 strips of crumbled cooked bacon if you’re not keeping it vegetarian for a quiche Lorraine lean.