I am a big fan of CHEESY BREAKFAST casseroles, especially quiches. This recipe puts a healthy spin on a a classic Broccoli Quiche by using low fat cheeses, buttermilk (for a rich creamy buttery flavor) and whole wheat flour. I LOVE having the crust mixed IN the quiche because it makes it dense, creamy, cheesy and crunchy with the FRESH broccoli.
My inspiration for this recipe comes from my Weight Watcher’s Slow Cook It cookbook. I modified their Broccoli Frittata Bite recipe to make it into a crockpot broccoli and cheese quiche.
The key to making this recipe a success in the slow cooker is to remember ONE RULE ~ when it comes to eggs, cook them slow and low. High heat tends to burn the outsides before the inside has a chance to cook.
Feel free to mix this up with any vegetable you love, just make sure you use fresh or if you use frozen, unthaw and pat dry to remove the water.
Enjoy!
SLOW COOKER BROCCOLI CHEESE QUICHE (print it!)
INSTRUCTIONS
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 10 oz FRESH broccoli, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups 1% buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp of your favorite Hot Sauce, optional
- 1 cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- Crockpot liners (recommended if your eggs tend to stick) or nonstick cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spray a large 3-4 quart crock pot dish with nonstick spray or line with a crock pot liner and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli and cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors are blended, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in flour, baking soda, sea salt, black pepper and hot sauce just until blended. Stir in broccoli mixture and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese until combined.
4. Transfer mixture to slow cooker; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top. Cover and cook until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 6-8 hours on low. Crock pots do vary on temperatures so be sure to adjust the time according to your crock pot settings.
NOTE: Using the HIGH setting does not work with this recipe as it cooks unevenly (burned on the edges and soggy in the middle)
5. Transfer stoneware to rack and let quiche cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Slice a butter knife around the edges to loosen. Cut into 10 slices. Serve warm.
Makes 10 servings, 3 points+ each or 8 servings, 4 points+ each
Nutritional information 1/8th of the recipe calculated at caloriecount.com
STEP – BY – STEP
INGREDIENT NOTE: As part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker program, I received a carton of Eggland’s Best Eggs to taste test. I figured this quiche recipe would be a perfect way to “test them out”.
I am not sure that I buy into the whole adding things to your eggs, especially when your eggs are not organic. However, if you are going to add things, why not have them be good things for you like Vitamins and Omega-3’s :) I do like that they treat their chickens humanely, they are vegetarian fed with no hormones added.
I did smile when I saw that they stamped EB on each egg ~ funny, my eggs are branded.
Start off by heating your olive oil over medium heat and adding your onions to caramelize. I LOVE caramelizing onions because it really brings out their sweetness.
After your onions are soft and caramelized, add your broccoli for a few minutes to mix the flavors.
While you veggies cook, whip up the egg part. The Eggland’s Best eggs look like normal eggs and they taste like regular eggs too 🙂
Add your buttermilk.
Whisk in your whole wheat flour, pepper and pink sea salt.
Plus some heat! I LOVE pretty much every egg dish with a little hot sauce.
Stir your veggie mixture into your egg mixture.
Stir in 3/4 cup of your low-fat cheese. I used low fat Monterey jack because it is what I had on hand.
Pour your mixture into your prepared crockpot and top with your remaining quarter cup cheese.
Cook it slow & low for 6-8 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly, slice a butter knife around the edges, cut and serve.
You can get really creative with this recipe by mixing it up and using different vegetables or flavored cheeses each time. You can put this in the crock pot before bed and wake up to a delicious breakfast that took not time at all to prepare. Another option is to put it on a Sunday morning and enjoy it for dinner.
This is another favorite recipe from my archives that I think I just may have to make for breakfasts this week! I am off to spend the day with my Sis and Mom getting pedicures, having lunch and going to the movies for the grand finale of my birthday week. If I am not back tonight, I will catch up with you all tomorrow with The Husband’s first Weight Watchers Meeting and my weekly menu!
Happy Weekend!
any substitutes for buttermilk?
HI Amanda,
You could make your own buttermilk by combining 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice.
Danica
that looks soooo yummy.
ohhh…that looks super yummy!
Loving it! I have been wanting to make something in my crockpot for a while now. Each time I think about it, I can’t find a good recipe or don’t have the right stuff. I will be making this one soon 🙂
MMMM MMM! I think I might need to make this this weekend for the superbowl party! LOL I know quiche is a strange superbowl food but it might just do the trick for me 🙂
Okay, I really like the looks of this! Unfortunately, me and The Crocker have not been pals. I think this might come out good for me, so I’m willing to try it again. The husband is gonna kill me…. 😉
Hi Amanda,
When you don’t have buttermilk on hand it’s really easy to make.
Take a little less than 1 c of milk
Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Fill the remaining amount with milk so you have a full cup.
Stir and let stand for 5 minutes and use as buttermilk.
I’ve used this process with Soy Milk when I make vegan recipes and it works ok too.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Danica
HI Alison,
It would be perfect because you could make them into little quiche bites and eat ALOT without guilt. Or you could leave it in the crockpot on warm and let people scoop it as they go….YUM!
Good luck!
Danica
Marisa you are so cute – I LOVE you! You can do it – you and your crockpot will become friends.
Maybe cooking it on a lower setting will help? Not sure, but, it’s a thought.
Good luck and let me know if I can make any recommendations to help.
Danica
Thanks for posting!
Oh Danica that is a great idea! I could put them in my silpat muffin pans.
I am definitely making this in some form tomorrow for the game! I think I will try my Market Day broccoli florets that are frozen b/c I have a lot of it and need to use it up. I recently bought the TJ’s fresh organic broccoli bag and we LOVED it 🙂 But TJ’s is a bit of a hike for me.
Have a nice weekend and thanks again for sharing 😀
wow, this really looks amazing! I really love crock-pots, and everytime i use one i think how I should use it MORE often because how easy everything is to put together. I would have never thought of making quiche in a crock pot, definitely a good idea for tomorrow when I’m still snowed in =)
What is the measurements on the whole wheat flour? The recipe says 1/2.. is that 1/s cup?
Thank you.
Thanks Lisa. I will fix that. Yes, it is 1/2 a cup.
A better substitution for buttermilk or milk would be coconut milk. Healthy fats from coconut. For that matter, coconut flour in place of wheat would be good as well
Great idea that I need to try. I have never made eggs in the slow cooker before.
I love the combination of buttermilk and eggs- it makes the eggs so rich and tender without using tons of fat. It seems really convenient to make this in a crockpot, too! Thanks for the recipe.
I learned two major things from this post! You can cook a casserole/ quiche in a crock pot and they sell crock pot liners- I feel like I’ve been living in the dark! The quiche looks delic and bet it would be great with the addition of some ham!
Danica – regarding the eggs, I don’t think Eggland’s adds anything to their eggs – the nutritional content is the direct result of the all natural high-quality vegetarian diet fed to the chickens that lay the eggs. They do have an organic version also. I’ve been a big fan of EB eggs for years.
Good to know!
Thanks SusieQ!
Is it baking soda or baking powder? Under the ingredients it says baking soda, but under instructions #3 it says baking powder. I just put this in my crockpot and used baking soda so hopefully that is what it needs. Can’t wait to try this in about six hours!
Great catch Lisa. Sorry for the typo, I fixed it. Baking Soda is correct. Can’t wait to hear what you think.
Danica
I can’t wait to try this… it looks deelish! I may have to whip it up tonight for breakfast tomorrow.
I am assuming I can use Egg Beaters?
Hi Lisa,
Yes, you can use the equivalent of 3 eggs in Egg Beaters for this recipe. It may actually reduce the points+ values so you might want to verify that.
Danica
I’m all about savory breakfasts like this – can’t wait to try it!
can you use frozen broccoli?
HI Mandy,
Yes, you can ~ just make sure you thaw and drain it first so the casserole does not get soggy as it unthaws.
Danica