Save time, calories with quiche using breadcrumbs vs. pastry

You can have this homemade quiche ready in just 25 minutes, without fussing with pastry dough.

Dr. Amy Ronner, law professor emeritus, created this vegetarian quiche looking for new recipes during the pandemic. It’s an easy mix-and-bake quiche.

The secret to saving time and calories is to use breadcrumbs and chopped walnuts for the crust instead of pastry. You can still slice and serve the quiche with this crust. I’ve adapted her recipe for this dinner.

She used vegetarian bacon-flavored bits. They add flavor and color to the dish and can be found in most supermarkets.

• Helpful Hints:

You can use any type of shredded cheese instead of sharp cheddar cheese.

You can use pecans or sliced almonds instead of walnuts for the crust.

You can use 2 percent milk instead of skim milk.

• Countdown:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare crust in the pie plate.

Mix all the other ingredients together, pour into pie plate and bake.

Crustless Cheese Quiche

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

10-inch shallow pie plate or casserole dish

Vegetable oil spray

¼ cup plain breadcrumbs

¼ cup chopped walnuts

4 eggs

½ cup skim milk

1 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup vegetarian bacon-flavored bits

½ cup sliced
scallions

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of pie plate with vegetable oil spray. Mix breadcrumbs and walnuts together. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the bottom and sides of plate. Roll the plate around to make sure the sides are covered with crumbs. Gently shake the plate to evenly distribute excess crumbs across the bottom. Add eggs, skim milk, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, vegetarian bacon bits, and scallions to a large bowl. Mix well. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Pour mixture into the prepared pie plate and bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. The center should be firm. Bake 5 more minutes if needed. Divide into two portions and serve.

Per serving: 618 calories (49% from fat), 33.7 g fat (8.9 g saturated, 11.2 g monounsaturated), 394 mg cholesterol, 49.4 g protein, 29.4 g carbohydrates, 5.9 g fiber, 1,664 mg sodium.