My friend, Diana Paxton, has a grown son, Jonathan, who is a vegetarian. Jonathan comes to dinner on Sundays, and Diana is always searching for good vegetarian dishes that he will like, and also the rest of the family (none of whom are vegetarians) will like. as well A family favorite is this Diana’s Springtime Crustless Quiche, which is also good for brunch and can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. It goes together quickly without a mixer. When I serve it for Brunch, I pair it with crisp bacon, ham and sausage links, as well as fresh fruit and freshly baked breakfast breads such as English muffins, biscuits, or muffins.

One extra plus for this delicious crustless quiche is that it freezes beautifully, so it can be made ahead. To reheat, thaw, cover it with foil, and put it in a 350° oven for 20 minutes or so until it is warmed through. You can substitute other vegetables besides asparagus such as zucchini (which takes slightly longer to bake due to the extra moisture in zucchini), broccoli, cauliflower, etc. You can also vary the cheese; Diana uses whatever is in her fridge. I like to use a mixture of Swiss and sharp cheddar, but pepper jack is good and gives it a bite. If you only have grated cheese in your fridge, it also works, but the chunks are always better – biting into a chunk of gooey cheese is one of the best comforts there is.

8 Servings

1/2 pound asparagus, snapped and cut into 1" pieces
2 cups cottage cheese
3 eggs
1 cup cubed cheese, cheddar, Swiss, etc. your favorite or what you have in the fridge
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 to 10 asparagus spears

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray a 9" pie plate with non-stick spray.
2. Mix all of the ingredients except asparagus spears in a large bowl; pour into the prepared pie plate.
3. Arrange the asparagus spears spoke fashion over the top of the quiche.
4. Bake about 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 205 Calories from Fat 121
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 59% Protein 28% Carb. 13%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 13 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Cholesterol 114 mg
Sodium 517 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 14 g

Vitamin A 19% Vitamin C 23% Calcium 0% Iron 5%