It seems that butternut squash is taking over Ambitious Kitchen and I’m not mad about. Last week, I showed you how to peel and cut a butternut squash into perfect cubes and then how to roast butternut squash to tender perfection. Hopefully, you learned a new trick that will help you save time, or maybe you even shared the tutorial with a friend or family member who can never seem to cut a butternut squash quite right.
This week, I’m continuing my obsession by sharing a few recipes that incorporate that nutritiously sweet and tender butternut squash.
Today, we’re kicking it off with this incredible crustless butternut squash bacon spinach quiche that I haven’t been able to get enough of ever since I started making it a few months back.
This recipe was inspired my spinach goat cheese quiche with sweet potato crust, which is one mine and Abra’s absolute favorites to make, but has a different flavor profile as it’s vegetarian and takes slightly more time to cook.
Truth be told, I had been dreaming about combining bacon and butternut squash for weeks, so I thought, why not throw it in an easy crustless quiche that could be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or hey, even dinner?!
When I was a single lady, I found myself constantly eating eggs for dinner because they’re quick and easy to make and a great source of protein. Plus, you can pair them with just about anything, so I say eggs are acceptable at any meal. Who’s with me?!
How to make a crustless quiche
A quiche is typically made with milk and eggs and poured into a crust, then baked. However, making a crustless quiche works wonderfully and personally, is how I prefer my quiches to be served. Here’s how to make a crustless quiche:
- First, spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Next, saute all the veggies you’re using in the recipe and place them in the prepared pie pan.
- Beat eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a bowl, then pour over the sauteed veggies.
- Top with cheese, if desired.
- Bake until slightly golden brown on top, about 35 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 6 slices and serve immediately with avocado, hot sauce or salsa.
What’s in this butternut squash quiche?
This butternut squash quiche is made with nourishing ingredients that you can feel free to mix and match to truly make it your own. Here’s what you need:
- Butternut squash: this recipe calls for cubed roasted butternut squash. Be sure to check out our tutorial on how to cut and peel a butternut squash and how to roast butternut squash here. You also have the option of sauteeing it on the stovetop and instructions can be found in the notes section of the recipe. If you’re out of butternut squash, feel free to sub sweet potatoes!
- Bacon: I don’t have a ton of bacon recipes on the blog, but I figured ‘tis the holiday season and bacon always seems to be a favorite and it adds such good flavor to this quiche. If you’d like you can use turkey bacon or even 3 or 4 sliced chicken sausages. Up to you!
- Spinach: this quiche calls for an entire bag of spinach that’s simply sauteed in a pan before adding. I always recommend using organic spinach in my recipes.
- Eggs: you’ll need 6 large eggs for this recipe. Lately I’ve been loving Vital Farms eggs, which are a bit pricey, but the yolk is so rich and amazing, it’s totally worth the extra $2.
- Milk of choice: I use almond milk in my recipes because that’s what we always have on hand, but you can use any milk of choice: skim, 2%, whole, or even cashew milk. Yum.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: there’s something fabulous about the combination of sharp cheddar cheese, bacon and butternut squash. Of course, you can use any cheese you’d like. I think feta crumbles would be a lovely addition.
How to make crustless quiche ahead of time
You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time. There are two options:
- Option 1: make, but do not bake. You can place all ingredients in the pie pan as directed, then cover and place in fridge until the next day. When you are ready, bake as directed.
- Option 2: bake, then reheat later. Bake the recipe as directed, then cool, cover with foil and place in fridge until ready to serve. Once ready to serve, warm in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warm. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until hot. It’s delicious either way!
How to make this recipe to serve a crowd
Feel free to double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 inch pan or two 9-inch pie pans. If you bake it in a 9×13 inch pan, the bake time may change slightly so just keep an eye on it and check about 5 minutes earlier. You’ll know it’s done when it’s no longer jiggly and the top is slightly golden brown.
What to serve this butternut squash quiche with
If it’s just me, I’ll eat this with avocado slices and hot sauce, but if you’re feeding a crowd or making a bigger breakfast, here are a few recipe pairing suggestions:
Perfectly Crispy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Gluten Free Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
See how to make this butternut squash quiche:
Butternut Squash Bacon Spinach Quiche
Crustless butternut squash bacon spinach quiche made only a few ingredients like tender savory roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, nutritious spinach, protein packed eggs and sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect for meal prep or serving during the holiday season!
-
8
slices
bacon (or turkey bacon) -
3
cups
roasted cubed butternut squash* -
½
tablespoon
olive oil -
1
(5 ounce) bag spinach -
6
large eggs -
⅓
cup
unsweetened almond milk (or sub regular milk) - Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
-
½
cup
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Cook your bacon first. Add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until crispy and golden brown. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, simply lower the heat. I always cook my bacon on medium low heat. Once bacon is done, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Add the roasted, cooked cubed butternut squash cubes. Set aside.
Place olive oil a large skillet over place over medium high heat. Add in spinach and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Add spinach to the prepared pan with then top with butternut squash and chopped bacon.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the top of the spinach and butternut squash. Sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese, along with an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the egg sets up. Remove from heat and wait a few minutes before cutting into 6 slices. Enjoy!
*If your squash isn’t already roasted, you can follow this tutorial on how to roast a butternut squash.
Alternatively, you can cook the squash on the stove top: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add squash cubes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. To speed up the cooking time, you can cover the pan and stir every few minutes — just make sure the heat isn’t too high or your squash will burn.
Nutrition
Servings: 6 servings
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories: 203kcal
Fat: 10.6g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 11.9g
Fiber: 3.6g
Sugar: 2.2g
Protein: 18g
