This easy crustless quiche recipe loaded with sausage & pan-fried potatoes is perfect for a tasty & filling make-ahead breakfast or brunch.
I love a good quiche recipe complete with a crust, but you know what I don't love? Making pie crust. It's finicky and takes time, and I for one prefer breakfasts that don't take forever to prepare. Enter: crustless quiche. It's easier to make, it's healthier, and it's still jam-packed with flavor. Will we even miss the crust? Okay, mayyyyybe just a little, but also really not that much!
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How to make an easy crustless quiche
The basic steps to making this crustless quiche are as follows:
Step 1: Pan-fry your potatoes til they're golden-brown and fork-tender.
Step 2: Cook your sausage (in the same pan as step 1).
Step 3: Whisk together your quiche base: eggs, cream cheese, milk, salt, and garlic powder.
Step 4: Combine all parts, pour into a pie dish, and bake. It's that easy!
What makes this quiche so good
One thing's for sure; crustless doesn't mean boring! With eggs, sausage, and potatoes as the three main ingredients in this quiche recipe, you essentially have a classic breakfast in a single dish. Pan-frying the potatoes with garlic and onion powder adds an extra layer of flavor, and we're using cream cheese for the light, creamy texture it contributes to the egg base. The quiche is filling without being heavy, and perfect for a breakfast option you can make ahead on a busy week.
Quiche vs Frittata
But wait, if this quiche doesn't have a crust, isn't it a frittata?
Not exactly, but it's similar! Traditionally, quiche has a crust and frittatas do not, but that's not a hard and fast rule. Frittatas are also also prepared and cooked in a skillet rather than a pie pan, and usually use less liquid per egg than a quiche. Because there is less liquid and the fillings are pre-cooked, they take less time to bake. While this recipe does not use as much liquid as a typical quiche, it still leans more quiche than frittata.
Making Ahead
As I mentioned before, this is a great recipe to make ahead for busy mornings! I typically make this quiche on a Sunday and have it for breakfast Monday thru Friday. Once the quiche has been baked and cooled, it can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Just microwave individual slices to re-heat before serving. For more even re-heating, you can also use a toaster-oven if you have a few extra minutes to spare.
More savory breakfast recipes
Here are a few other savory (and cheesy!) recipes that are perfect for breakfast or brunch:
Kale, Asparagus, & Chèvre Quiche - A vegetarian quiche with an easy, press-in almond meal crust, filled with kale, asparagus, and tangy goat cheese.
Cheddar & Chive Cornbread Waffles - These savory waffles are just as good for breakfast as they are for dinner! Top them with sour cream and a fried egg to complete the meal.
Bacon Cheddar Scones - Flaky, buttery scones flecked with bits of tangy cheddar and crisp bacon. These can be frozen before baking so you can have hot-from-the-oven scones whenever you want!
PrintCrustless Quiche with Sausage and Potatoes
This easy crustless quiche recipe loaded with sausage & pan-fried potatoes is perfect for a tasty & filling make-ahead breakfast or brunch.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (up to 35)
- Total Time: 55 minutes (up to 60)
- Yield: one 9" quiche
- Category: breakfast
- Method: stovetop, baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- butter, for greasing pan
- ¼ cup avocado oil, divided use
- 1 medium russet potato, rinsed, thinly sliced and quartered
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided use
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, divided use
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion powder
- 3 raw breakfast sausages, sliced
- 8 eggs
- 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400ºF and butter a 9" deep pie dish.
- Pan Fry Potatoes: In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons avocado oil over medium heat. Carefully add the sliced & quartered potato (the oil will be hot and prone to splattering) and toss in oil to coat. Cover and cook, tossing often, until potatoes are golden-brown and fork-tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, pepper, and onion powder, and toss to coat evenly in spices. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Cook Sausage: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through and golden-brown on the exterior (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Make the quiche base: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream cheese, milk, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, breaking up the cream cheese as you go, until the mixture is fairly smooth and no large chunks of cream cheese remain. Mix in the potatoes and sausage.
- Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, making sure the sausage and potatoes are evenly dispersed. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until golden and puffed up in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool briefly before serving.
Notes
Storing and Reheating: Leftover quiche can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Reheat individual slices in the microwave before serving.
Greg Garrison
I’ve made this recipe 4 or 5 times now. It’s so easy and packed full of protein to get me through the morning and my lunch hour gym session. I’m not a morning person so the less work that is required, the better. I love this recipe. Everyone should try making this one at least once, it’s so simple and delicious!
Laura McCloskey
This, by another name is, 'frittata'.
alexandra
Hi,
As I explained in the post, there are a couple reasons why I would call this more of a quiche than a frittata, but really I'd say it lies somehwere in the middle.