I’m not trying to be boring here, but I just have to share another cauliflower recipe with you. This recipe has been in our dinner rotation since the girls were little. It has yet to fail me and seems to get better each time I make it. Today’s recipe is our family favorite: cauliflower quiche.
It’s a simple recipe with not a lot of ingredients. To make it even simpler it is crustless, so there is one less step. Yes, flour is added, but this is to help absorb moisture and add to the creaminess you will be creating with the eggs, butter, cottage cheese, Gruyere, and Jarlsberg cheese. Are you grabbing for the ingredients yet?
It’s kind of funny because when I’m asked what I am making for dinner and I say, “cauliflower quiche”…I get these strange looks as in…what the heck is a cauliflower quiche? Well, in my world it’s yumminess. If you are in the mood for a more vegetarian meal, this is your dish.
This is what you will need:
- 1 medium-sized head of Cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 4 eggs (my preferred brand is Happy Eggs because of their taste and deep amber yolk color)
- 4 Tbsp. flour (you can use Brown Rice Flour if you are looking for a gluten free option)
- 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 cup cottage cheese (I use Organic Valley 4% Milkfat Small Curd)
- ½ cup grated Gruyere
- ½ cup grated Jarlsberg
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. paprika, plus extra for sprinkling onto the quiche
- Fresh ground pepper, about 10 turns
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and lightly butter a 9” pie dish.
- Cut cauliflower into florets and steam for about 10 minutes then remove the lid and steamer from the pot of water to prevent the cauliflower from absorbing any more water.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add in flour one tablespoon at a time, making sure to whisk out all clumps.
- Add in melted butter and stir. Then add in cottage cheese, grated Gruyere, and Jarlsberg and mix together.
- Add in salt, paprika, and pepper.
- Finally add in the steamed cauliflower and stir.
- Pour into the buttered pie dish. Lightly sprinkle with extra paprika. Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or up to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on wire rack before slicing.
Notes:
- I am particular about the brands I use especially in this recipe. It has to do with the consistency of the cottage cheese and the melting of the cheeses. The Organic Valley 4% Milkfat Small Curd Cottage Cheese works very nicely as does Friendship 4% Cottage Cheese, whichever is available in your area. As to the cheese combination, you can also use Monterey Jack with Swiss.
- This recipe can be made using a 10 ounce box of frozen chopped spinach in place of the cauliflower. You would have to thaw the spinach and then squeeze out all the water before adding to the egg mixture.
- When grating the cheese, I use the cheese planer side of a box grater.
- Finally, if you are enjoying this for dinner add a nice salad or a steamed vegetable as a side! Leftovers can be reheated for breakfast with a side of bacon!
I have made this dish countless times and it never fails to satisfy. Thanks, sis, for sharing this recipe with me so many years ago.
From my kitchen to yours…enjoy and bon appétit
