Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche
If you think tomato quiche sounds like a good idea, I promise that this Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche is absolutely a wow! And even when tomatoes are basil aren’t growing in the garden, with Roma tomatoes and purchased fresh basil you can make this almost any time of year!
PIN the Tomato Quiche to make it later!
At my house I have a collection of cookbooks that take up an entire wall in my office. I have so many cookbooks I can go for a years without looking at a certain book, and then one day it will catch my eye.
Recently I picked up a quirky book called Nutbread and Nostalgia, published in 1979 by the Junior League of South Bend, Indiana. And this very, very old book is where I got the idea for a quiche with tomatoes and fresh basil, and this Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche that I’m reminding you about for Friday Favorites was the happy result.
Of course the tomato quiche recipe in the book wasn’t crustless, and I actually changed just about everything in the inspiring recipe except the starring ingredients. It took me several tries to come up with a keeper version, and along the way I added cottage cheese for extra protein and switched the tomatoes for less wet Roma tomatoes.
But making this Tomato Quiche several times to get it just right really wasn’t much of a hardship, because I gobbled up even the ones that didn’t set up well enough, and by the time I had perfected the recipe, I was wondering why it took me so long to think of making this type of crustless quiche.
And this quiche with tomatoes, basil, and cheese will keep in the fridge for a few days and reheats well! If you love the combinations of fresh basil and tomatoes like I do, I hope you’ll give this a try.
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Roma tomatoes
- green onion
- eggs
- Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or other all-purpose seasoning blend
- half-and-half, milk, or cream
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- cottage cheese
- shredded Swiss cheese
- finely grated Parmesan cheese
- thinly sliced basil
Can you make the Tomato Quiche when it’s not summer?
This is a perfect summer dish to spotlight the combination of tomatoes and basil. But you can get good Roma tomatoes even in the winter and if you don’t mind splurging on some fresh basil I’d love this for breakfast during the holidays as well.
What’s the difference between a crustless quiche and a frittata?
This is a custardy egg pie that’s baked in a pie dish, so it’s definitely a quiche and not a frittata or egg casserole! Frittatas can look similar, but they’re an eggy combination that cooks in a frying pan, sometimes going under the broiler for a few minutes at the end. Most quiche recipes have a pie-crust type crust, but you won’t miss that with all the tasty ingredients in this low-carb crustless quiche!
What kind of cheese can you use for the Tomato Quiche?
I used shredded Swiss cheese in this recipe, which is a cheese that’s used in traditional quiche recipes. But if you don’t have Swiss or don’t like it, this would be delicious with shredded Monterey Jack or even Mozzarella. I used cottage cheese and I wouldn’t skip that ingredient. You can’t really taste it in the finished dish but it adds creaminess and protein. And finally, some grated Parmesan Cheese added to the cheesy flavor, but any type of pungent hard grating cheese would be great.
What kind of tomatoes did I use?
After experimenting I decided that the drier Roma Tomatoes were perfect in this recipe and any kind of paste tomato will be great in this recipe that has chopped tomatoes in the quiche and sliced tomatoes on top. But if you have other fresh red garden tomatoes you want to use, I’d choose firm medium-sized tomatoes that aren’t overly ripe. It will be even more important to drain the tomatoes on paper towels if you’re using a wetter tomato variety for the tomato quiche; I would drain one side, then use another paper towel and drain the other side.
Want more ideas for crustless quiche?
I’m a fan of creamy quiche recipes and here are some others I’ve enjoyed:
- Cheesy Crustless Quiche Lorraine
- Pepperoni Pizza Keto Crustless Quiche
- Bacon, Mushroom, and Feta Crustless Quiche
- Bacon Cheeseburger Keto Breakfast Quiche.
Want even more low-carb quiche recipes?
Check out Low-Carb and Keto Crustless Quiche Recipes for a great collection of crustless quiche ideas from Kalyn’s Kitchen and around the web!
How to make Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cut 3 small Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, then chop the tomatoes and slice the green onion.
- Beat the eggs with half and half (or milk or cream), Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link), Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) and a little salt and pepper.
- Then gently mix in the cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped tomatoes, and green onion.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-10″ pie dish that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray and bake at 350F/180C for about 30 minutes.
- While it bakes, thinly slice 3 more small Roma tomatoes and let them drain on paper towels, and thinly slice some fresh basil (or cut the basil with Herb Scissors (affiliate link) if you have some.
- When the 30 minutes is up, remove the quiche from the oven, top with tomato slices and basil, and bake 30 minutes more, or slightly longer if the center doesn’t seem done.
- This part is completely optional, but you can put the finished quiche under the broiler for a couple of minutes if you want to get the top a little more browned. If you do this, be sure to watch it carefully so the basil doesn’t burn!
- Let the quiche sit for a few minutes before you cut it and enjoy.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I’d eat this tomato quiche any time of day! It would taste great for breakfast with Savory Almond Flour Bread, Flourless Breakfast Muffins with Zucchini and Feta, or Low-Carb High-Fiber Savory Muffins! Or I’d love this for a low-carb summer dinner with something like Cauliflower Rice with Basil, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts or Air Fryer Peppers and Onions.
More Meatless Dishes with Eggs:
- Asparagus and Tomato Frittata with Havarti and Dill
- Fifteen-Minute Salsa Verde Eggs
- Low-Carb Green Chile and Cheese Egg Muffins
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche
Fresh Roma tomatoes and basil taste great in this Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche.
Ingredients
- 6 small Roma tomatoes (see notes)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp. Italian Herb Blend
- 1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half (see notes)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350F/180C. Spray a 9-10″ glass or crockery pie dish with non-stick spray.
- Cut 3 small Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds.
- Dry the inside of the tomatoes with a paper towel and then chop them.
- Thinly slice enough green onion to make 1/2 cup.
- Beat the eggs with the half-and-half, Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link), Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), salt and pepper in a large bowl (or extra-large glass measuring cup like I used) until whites and yolks of the egg are well-combined.
- Then gently mix in the cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped tomatoes, and green onion.
- Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake 30 minutes.
- While the quiche is doing the initial baking, thinly slice 3 small Roma tomatoes, and drain them on paper towels. (If the tomatoes seem extra wet, put between two layers of paper towel and gently press to absorb some of the liquid.)
- Slice the fresh basil.
- After 30 minutes, remove the quiche from the oven and arrange the sliced tomatoes and basil over the top.
- Bake 30 minutes longer, or slightly more if the center doesn’t seem set enough.
- Optional: When the quiche is done, you can remove it from the oven, heat the broiler, and broil the top of the finished quiche for a minute or two so it’s lightly browned. If you do this step, WATCH IT VERY CAREFULLY so the basil doesn’t burn!
- Let the finished quiche sit for a few minutes to get firm before you cut it. (The top will sink down some, so expect that!)
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Any variety of paste tomato will work for this recipe; use less tomatoes for lower carbs if you prefer. Use heavy cream, half and half, or milk, whichever you prefer. I used my Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to cut the basil.
This recipe inspired by a Tomato Quiche I spotted in Nutbread and Nostalgia which is definitely one of my very oldest cookbooks.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 301Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 11gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 236mgSodium 544mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 23g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche is a great low-carb dish, suitable for low-carb or Keto eating plans. Tomatoes do have some carbs, so for Keto or extremely low-carb you might want to use fewer tomatoes, but if you check the nutritional information this is actually pretty low in carbs. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet, they would recommend low-fat dairy products, but other low-carb plans will prefer full-fat dairy.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Breakfast Recipes to find more ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2016. It was updated in 2021 with more information and featured as a Friday Favorites pick, and was updated again with more information in 2023.
22 Comments on “Crustless Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Quiche”
Can this be made in individual ramekins? Would the cooking time change? This looks amazing as an alternative to egg bites.
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work fine to make in individual baking dishes, and the cooking time would be shorter. I can’t guess how much shorter so you’d just have to watch them when they cook. Hope you enjoy!
This has become an instant favorite for my family! What a winner! We added feta and used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella rather than Swiss since that is what we had in hand. It was fantastic!Â
So glad you enjoyed! I love the sound of your version.
With heirloom tomato season here, I am on this! I am going to try to half the recipe, my family isn’t as passionate about eggs and tomatoes as I am. 🙃
Hope you enjoy!
This looks amazing — I’ve just started South Beach and have been craving tomato pie — this will satisfy that!
Hope you enjoy Denise!
Wondering if this quiche can be frozen when “raw” and then popped in the oven the morning you want to eat it? Â I am having a wedding shower and have made a “freeze ahead” quiche many times that you can just put in the oven for 1 hr. the morning you want to eat it. Â Make ahead, freeze, then cook. Â Do you think this recipe can be done that way? Â Good gluten free recipe, too! Â The quiche recipe I have uses a crust. Â I don’t know if this one being crustless would lend itself to freezing ahead and baking the morning of the event?
I have to be honest and say I don’t have the slightest idea if that will work. I’ve never frozen this type of egg dish before I cooked it. I am skeptical though, especially because of the tomatoes. If you try it, let us know how it works.
Can’t wait to make this. I need to use the basil I have growing on my patio. My husband is not a big fan of cooked tomatoes, but I love them and sometimes you just need to cook the things your love.
I too collect cookbooks and started to purge them. Unfortunately, none of my children share my love of cookbooks.
Hope you enjoy Bobbie. I’m starting to think about what to do with my own cookbook collection as well!
Just want to say this I made this for a brunch I hosted and it was a HIT!!! It was also my first quiche so I was so happy everyone loved it 🙂 the combination of the cheeses in this dish is so delicious and the instructions about draining the tomatoes I think is key for sure because that could be really detrimental to skip that step!! The end step of broiling for asatheatics was perfect!Â
Thank you for an amazing recipe that I for sure will be making again!!!
Jenny, so glad to hear it was a hit!
Making this for sure this weekend. Love that your recipes are tested!
Thanks Diana, hope you enjoy!
I can't remember whether I sent you that book, though it sounds like something I would have done! I'm so envious of your garden tomatoes. This quiche is gorgeous.
Lydia, I might be remembering it wrong, but I am pretty sure you sent me the book, long ago when you were cleaning out books in Rhode Island!
Love the addition of the tomatoes in two separate steps – genius!
I made stuffed tomatoes yesterday for dinner, they were a tad too juicy, but still delicious! Need to blog on that sometime before I totally forget about it 😉
Thanks Sally! My first ones were definitely too wet but using Romas and "drying" the tomatoes really helped. I've never made stuffed tomatoes so look forward to seeing your recipe!
Looks soooo good! Especially with all the garden veggies and herbs this time of year.
Thanks Colleen, so glad you like it!