Two Cheese Spinach Quiche

This is a crustless quiche where cottage cheese and Monterey Jack stand in for the heavy cream-and-pastry version, dramatically lightening the dish without sacrificing the rich, custardy texture. Cottage cheese is the surprise ingredient that binds the eggs into a tender, almost souffle-like texture while keeping the protein high and the calories reasonable.

Frying the spinach in butter with garlic is the technique that elevates this from “egg bake” to “actual quiche." The butter carries the garlic flavor into the spinach leaves, and the brief fry drives off any residual moisture from the squeezed-dry frozen spinach. Wet spinach in egg mixture gives you a watery quiche; dry, garlicky, butter-coated spinach gives you concentrated savory flavor.

Using 30 ounces of frozen spinach, squeezed thoroughly dry, is the right move. Frozen spinach is already pre-wilted to 10x more concentrated than fresh by volume, which means a deeply spinach-flavored quiche without ten pounds of fresh leaves to wilt down.

The quarter cup of bread crumbs is the unsung hero. Mixed into the egg-and-cheese batter, they soak up moisture and give the crustless quiche enough structure to slice cleanly.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel until it stops releasing water. Even “squeezed dry” frozen spinach holds extra moisture; the towel-squeeze gets every drop out.
• Use full-fat cottage cheese for the richest texture. Low-fat cottage cheese works but gives a slightly grainier finished quiche.
• Cool the cooked spinach completely before mixing into the egg-and-cheese base. Hot spinach starts cooking the eggs in the bowl before you can transfer to the dish.
• Test for doneness with a knife in the center. The quiche is done when the knife comes out clean and the center no longer jiggles when nudged.

Variations

• Add a quarter cup of crumbled feta to the cheese mix for a Greek spanakopita-style flavor.
• Stir in a half cup of crumbled cooked bacon for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.
• Use sharp cheddar in place of Monterey Jack for a more pungent, English-style cheese profile.