Easy Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche

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My foolproof and flavorful, low-carb, Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche is full of silky egg custard, melted cheddar cheese, and chunks of sweet and savory ham. This crustless quiche recipe is so easy that anyone, even beginner cooks or kids, can make it.

A slice of quiche on a white plate with a croissant.

Whether they are made with a crust such as my Roasted Tomato Quiche with Goat Cheese, or my Spinach and Bacon Quiche, or without a crust such as this recipe or my Canadian Bacon and Brie Crustless Quiche, quiches make fantastic quick and easy entrées that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even a light dinner.

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Why you will love this recipe
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Recipe Variations
How to Make a Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche
Leftovers and Storage:
Recipe FAQs
Sharon’s Tips
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe:

Why you will love this recipe

Like my Cottage Cheese Egg Bake, this crustless ham and cheese quiche is perfect for anyone watching their weight or on a low-carb or keto diet. Because it is made without a crust, it is also lower in calories than a regular quiche.
Like my Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham and Deviled Ham recipes, this ham and cheese quiche is a great way to use up leftover holiday ham, such as my Maple-Glazed Ham.
Quiches are versatile, and you can substitute your favorite meat or vegetables or what you happen to have on hand. They are also make-ahead wonders, delicious hot or cold, and leftovers reheat well and freeze beautifully.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Let's talk ingredients: what you need, what you can swap, and how to make it work with what's in your pantry. These are the main ingredients; the full list is waiting down in the recipe card.

Ingredients for a ham and cheese crustless quiche.

Ham – if I don’t have leftover ham, I like to use eight-ounce boneless ham steaks that come prepackaged. You can also find ham already cut up into cubes in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Cheddar cheese – I recommend extra-sharp cheddar; you can also substitute mild cheddar, swiss, gruyere, or a blend of cheeses.
Chives – can either be added to the egg mixture or used as a garnish.
Eggs – either large or extra large work best.
Heavy cream – provides richness and keeps the texture light, moist, and creamy. You can substitute half-and-half or whole milk, but it will change the texture a bit.

Recipe Variations

Quiches are very versatile. For this recipe, you could substitute one cup of Canadian bacon, regular bacon, or cooked sausage for the ham.
You can also change up the cheese and use gruyere, swiss, manchego, provolone, Monterey jack, gouda, or a blend of melting cheeses.
In addition, you could add a cup of roasted cherry tomatoes, blanched broccoli, shredded zucchini that has had all of the moisture squeezed out, cooked mushrooms, or a handful of chopped fresh spinach.
To kick things up a notch, top it with a dollop of sour cream and a bit of salsa.

How to Make a Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Spray a nine-inch pie plate generously with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with butter. Set aside.
Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat and saute the ham for two to three minutes. Set aside.

Add half of the ham and grated cheese to the bottom of the pie plate and spread out evenly.

Add the eggs, cream, chives, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, and ground black pepper to a medium-size bowl and whisk to combine.

A bowl of eggs, cream, and seasonings with cheese.

Slowly pour the egg mixture over the ham and cheese mixture and top with the other half of the ham and grated cheese.

A pie plate filled with eggs, cream, cheese and ham ready for the oven.

Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 175 °F when inserted in the middle of the quiche not touching the pan.
When it’s done, remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on a wire baking rack for five to ten minutes before slicing and serving it.

Leftovers and Storage:

Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to four days. To freeze, wrap the slices individually with plastic wrap, put them in a plastic freezer bag, and store them for up to one month.
To reheat, place the individual slices on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds or until they are warm.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with quiche?

If I am serving it for breakfast or brunch, I usually serve it with a helping of fruit or a mixed fruit salad such as my Grape Salad with Cream Cheese, Breakfast Fruit Salad, Old Fashioned Southern Ambrosia, or my Make-Ahead Frozen Fruit Salad.

For a light lunch or dinner, I like to serve it with a simple side salad such as my Brussels Sprout Salad, Apple Pecan Salad, or my Spinach, Apple, and Cranberry Salad.

What’s the difference between a quiche and a frittata?

While both have similar ingredients, frittatas such as my Cheesy and Mushroom Broccoli Frittata are started on the stove and then finished under the broiler. Quiches on the other hand are always baked in the oven.

Can I make this crustless quiche recipe with a pie crust?

Of course, simply either purchase or make a pie crust, follow the directions for pre-baking it and then follow the directions to make the filling and bake it.

Can I make any quiche crustless?

Yes, just keep in mind that you will need to add one or two more eggs to the custard mixture to give it a bit more structure. And be sure to grease the pie plate thoroughly so the quiche won’t stick.

Sharon’s Tips

If you don’t have dry mustard, you can substitute a half tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
You can make this recipe ahead by either preparing it up to 24 hours ahead, covering and refrigerating it and then baking it when you are ready. Or, you can go ahead and bake it, cover it tightly and freeze it. Then allow it to thaw overnight and reheat it in a 350 °F oven for about 25 minutes or until it is warmed through.
Don’t be alarmed if your quiche inflates and looks like it is coming out of your pan. It will deflate once it comes out of the oven.
I always recommend baking quiches on a baking sheet just in case the filling overflows. It is also much easier to put in and take out of the oven when it’s on a baking sheet.