Crustless mini-quiche

The versatility of this crustless mini-quiche is why Katie Krawczyk, the registered dietitian nutritionist at the Upstate Cancer Center, finds herself sharing the recipe with so many patients.

Eggs are a great source of protein. But if you’re tired of the same scrambled eggs for breakfast, these miniquiches are a good substitute – for meals or snacks any time of day.

BASE:

12 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons basil, chopped (or other herbs)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss or Gouda work well)

VEGETABLES:

(Note: Feel free to sub in whatever veggies you like or have on hand)

1 cup broccoli, cut in tiny florets

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

¼ to ½ cup onion, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins removed and diced fine (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly grease a nonstick muffin pan with butter, coconut oil or nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, parsley, basil (or other herbs), salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare your vegetables. You can substitute what you like or have on hand instead of broccoli, spinach and peppers. Optionally, you can sauté your onion with a bit of olive oil to soften it up and take away some of its bite. Set aside and allow to cool.

Add all the veggies to the bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. Stir in half of the cheese.

Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measure, spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling to about ¼ inch from the top. Then sprinkle a small amount of the reserved cheese over each. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the egg is fully set and the cheese has just started to turn golden on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before running a butter knife around each muffin and gently removing from the pan. Enjoy while warm, or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be reheated for several seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a preheated oven or toaster oven.

Serving size is 2 mini-quiches. Each serving contains 250 calories; 14 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 16 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; and 263 milligrams cholesterol.