1cupgrated Gruyère cheese, grated *see Note 1 for other cheese options
2Tablespoonsfresh or dried chives, diced
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Instructions
350 degrees F. Rub some butter on a deep-dish or regular 9-inch pie plate (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
Prepare the asparagus by trimming off and discarding the woody ends. Keep 3 spears of asparagus whole (for topping the quiche) and cut the remaining into about 1-inch long pieces.
Melt the butter in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallots and the asparagus (both the chopped and the whole spears) and cook, stirring regularly, until the shallots and asparagus are softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, dry mustard and nutmeg in a medium bowl or measuring cup.
Remove the shallots and chopped asparagus to the pie plate, setting the whole spears aside for now. Top the asparagus mixture with the shredded Gruyere cheese.
Pour the egg mixture over top of the cheese. Sprinkle the chives over the top of the eggs, then arrange the 3 asparagus spears on top of the quiche.
Bake the quiche for 35-40 minutes or until set and golden on top. Serve warm.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This quiche can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply microwave or loosely cover with foil and place into a 350F oven until warmed through about 10-15 minutes. You can assemble the quiche ahead, refrigerate and bake up to 8 hours later if you like.
Notes
Note 1: Cheddar, Swiss or goat cheese are other good options for cheese, or any cheese you have and enjoy.If you'd like to try an egg white-only quiche, simply replace the whole eggs with about 1 1/4 cups of liquid egg whites. (You could also do a combination of whole eggs and egg whites. Just aim for about 1 1/2 cups of total egg.)I've found that even if the pie pan is greased, a thin layer of the egg will always stick to the bottom of the baking pan. You'll still be able to remove a nice, neat piece of quiche so it doesn't create an issue. If you have an oven-safe skillet in the 9 to 10-inch diameter range, save yourself a dish and bake the quiche right in the skillet. Add the cheese and egg mixture to the skillet after softening the shallot and asparagus.This base for this crustless quiche is a great starting point for endless flavour combinations, using different vegetables and cheese. In general, start with vegetables that are cooked to tender-crisp.