Crustless Broccoli Mushroom Quiche with Cottage Cheese

Crustless Broccoli Mushroom Quiche with Cottage Cheese

I purchased some cottage cheese a week ago to go with the delicious California peaches my husband got for me at Sam's Club.  Ended up just eating one peach with cottage cheese (So, so, so GOOD!)... but what to do with leftover cottage cheese?  I remembered a recipe for a crustless quiche-sort-of-dish with spinach and cottage cheese, so I went to the Internet to look for a recipe.  Most called for 10 ounces of frozen spinach, onion, garlic... some called for mushrooms and some included various cheeses... some had pastry crusts on the bottom while one version had sliced tomatoes on top.  I took ideas from the various recipes I read and I was in a broccoli sort of mood.  Here's what I made...

Ingredients:

1 cup low fat cottage cheese (I used Nordica brand with approx. 1 % milkfat)
3 eggs and 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small bite sized bits
8 medium sized white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (I used 1/2 tsp. which was a tad too much)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Pam non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and egg whites with a fork.  Add in the cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Stir with a fork to combine and set aside.

In a microwave safe container, combine the broccoli with a few tablespoons of water. Cover and heat on high power for 60 seconds.  Drain water carefully and set aside.

Generously spray a 10 or 12 inch non-stick skillet with Pam (non-stick cooking spray).  Heat over medium heat and add in the diced onions and sliced mushrooms.  Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add in the garlic, salt, pepper, and the broccoli, and cook for a few minutes more.  Cooking the veggies ahead of time helps the veggies release excess moisture so the completed dish is not soggy.  If there is a lot of moisture in the pan, just continue to cooking.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Spray a 9 inch pie plate or 9 inch Springform pan with Pam.  Add the veggie mixture to the bottom of the pan.  Pour the egg-cheese mixture over the veggies.  Jiggle the pan to settle and distribute the ingredients in the pan.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (or until edges are slightly browned) and egg is cooked through.  If using a Springform pan, put the Springform pan on a cookie sheet just in case the pan leaks.  I did not do this; my pan leaked and made a smoky, stinky mess in my oven.  Ugh!

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Edited later:  I sat down tonight to attempt to figure out the calorie count per serving.  I over estimated the number of calories in the mushrooms, broccoli, and onion, because I was not super precise in my measurements.  I was amazed to discover this entire dish is comprised of less than 700 calories.  Cut into 6 servings, each slice is about 111 calories; cut into 8 servings, each slice is less than 90 calories.