Arugula and Cremini Quiche with Gluten-Free Almond Meal Crust
Arugula, cremini mushrooms and goat cheese quiche in a gluten-free thyme and almond meal crust. A simple, gourmet recipe for breakfast, brunch or dinner!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
This weekend was full of parties and good cheer. It started with a bang on Friday, when my friends surprised me with a birthday party! I thought I was meeting one friend for dinner, but to my shock and delight, eight smiling faces were waiting for me when I arrived.
My birthday is on Christmas and I havenโt had a proper birthday celebration in, oh, almost a decade, so it meant the world to me. Iโm actually looking forward to my real birthday now. And, now that I am no longer filled with Christmas baby bitterness, I might stop being a Scrooge and actually pull out some holiday decorations.
My friend Tessa served her version of this quiche at girlsโ night a couple of months ago. Two of the four of us are gluten-free, so we often serve simple, vegetarian frittatas that satisfy all four of us. (Add a bottle of wine, maybe a side salad and some chocolate for desert, and weโve made a gourmet meal with minimal effort.)
That night, Tessa included an almond meal crust, which turned her baked frittata into a quiche. Iโve never been a big fan of all-purpose flour crusts, but this crisp, savory, herbed crust is another story. We all absolutely loved the flavor and texture of the crust and requested the recipe. The best part? You donโt even need a rolling pin to make it. Just smush the crust into form with your fingers.
Iโve been working on a larger scale version that can be baked in a cast iron skillet ever since. My final, favorite version starts with a garlicky thyme and almond meal crust, which is filled with scrambled eggs, goat cheese, mushrooms and arugula. Itโs fresh, filling and simpleโperfect for a holiday brunch or a simple weeknight dinner.
If you would like to serve the quiche with wine, Iโd suggest a light-bodied pinot noir. This postโs sponsor, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, offers a widely available pinot noir that truly is just right. The pinot noirโs notes of sour cherry and oak pair wonderfully with the flavors of goat cheese, arugula and Cremini mushrooms.
Mondavi asked me to share some entertaining tips with you all today. My suggestions, which are all pretty basic but oven overlooked, come from my experience in food service as well as attending parties as a guest. What are your best tips? Iโd love to hear them.
Entertaining doโs:
- Serve glasses of water alongside alcohol, and refill the water glasses whenever they are running low. Hydrated guests are happier guests.
- Cloth napkins always leave an impression. They donโt even have to match as long as they share a common theme. A matching salt shaker and pepper grinder is a nice touch, too.
- Gracefully clear plates from the table as they are finished. Guests canโt relax and put their elbows on the table if itโs covered with empty plates.
- Set up a drink station away from the kitchen that offers all of the necessary drink supplies: alcohol, glasses, ice, garnishes. Let guests serve themselves so they can drink at their own pace.
- Stemless wine glasses may not be the most proper wine glasses, but theyโre less likely to tip over and spill or break.
- Lights! Music! Donโt neglect ambience. Avoid harsh overhead lighting and play event-appropriate background music. (Thanks to my friend Grace for the reminder!)
Entertaining donโts:
- Donโt try to do everything by yourself! Guests want to contribute and be helpful, so tell them what you need them to bring or do. Better to ask for help than to make everyone around you feel helpless and stressed for you.
- Donโt feel compelled to offer a million different menu items. Serve enough to satisfy your guests and their individual dietary restrictions. Humans have a natural tendency to want to try everything, which leads to overeating and post-holiday party guilt. Thereโs no need to prepare more food than people actually want or need!
- Donโt forget about the bathroom. Make sure to provide a clean hand towel and leave an extra roll of toilet paper in sight.
Arugula and Cremini Quiche with Gluten-Free Almond Meal Crust
Arugula, Cremini mushrooms and goat cheese quiche in a gluten-free thyme and almond meal crust. A simple, gourmet recipe for breakfast, brunch or dinner!
Ingredients
Gluten-free almond meal crust
- 2 cups packed almond meal or almond flour (I had better results with almond meal)
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- โ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon water
Arugula, Cremini mushroom and goat cheese filling
- 3 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped
- 1 ยฝ cups cleaned and sliced Cremini mushrooms
- Drizzle olive oil
- 6 large eggs
- โ cup milk
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9โณ pie pan with olive oil or cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, stir together the almond meal, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil and water and stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
- Press the dough into your prepared skillet/pan until it is evenly dispersed across the bottom and at least 1 ยผ inch up the sides. Bake until the crust is lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Cook the mushrooms with a dash of salt, stirring often, until tender. Toss in the arugula and let it wilt, while stirring, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a plate to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and red pepper. Stir in the goat cheese and the slightly cooled mushroom and arugula mixture.
- Once the crust is done baking, pour in the egg mixture and bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch and cooked through. Let the quiche cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Crust adapted from Roostโs Rainbow Chard Tartlets. Thyme/goat cheese/mushroom/arugula flavor combination inspired by What to Drink with What You Eat.
- Yields 6 large slices.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
A message from Robert Mondavi: Robert Mondavi Private Selection offers something authentic, true to Mr. Mondaviโs legacy of making great quality, expressive wines from Californiaโs Central Coast. Connect with us on Facebook for more: www.facebook.com/robertmondaviprivateselection
Please enjoy our wines responsibly.
Disclaimer: Compensation for this post was provided by Robert Mondavi Private Selection via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Robert Mondavi Private Selection.
Oh my, that crust! I made mine with hazelnut flour (saved ยซย in extremisย ยป at a traditionnal oil mill place : the owner usually gives away those oilcake by-products to cattleโฆ!!). The nut taste was strong (= perfect for me and my friend), I believe I could easily have passed the cheese in the egg filling. The idea of baking a quiche in a cast-iron skillet is genius.
One more thing: one sixth per person was definitely enough, as it is very nutritious!
Great recipe, Kate!
Iโm so glad you loved it, Nathalie! I appreciate your review.
Can I make this crust ahead?
I havenโt tried it, but it may work. Let me know if you try it!
Fantastic crust with fresh thyme. Worked well without the cheese too.
Absolute perfection! The crust is out of this world. I followed the recipe exactly, aside from subbing goat cheese for feta.
Iโm glad you loved it, Kimberley! I appreciate your review.
Just came across my review from a couple of years ago, because Iโm making this for probably the 30th time, and noticed I said I had said subbed goat cheese for feta, and it should have been the other way around! My family loves this for dinner and I really enjoy making it!
Can I make the filling mixture the night before, then add it to the crust in the morning and bake?
I havenโt tried it, so I canโt say for sure.
Another tasty winner from Cookie & Kate! So glad to have a gluten free healthy quiche. I added1/3 cup of fresh minced onion when sautรฉing the mushrooms and arugula, and reduced the goat cheese to half (minimizing dairy). Thank you, as always, for yummy recipes.
Great to hear, Cheryl!
This was absolutely delicious!! I used almond flour because the store did not have almond meal and I also used a stainless steel skillet since I donโt have a cast iron one and the crust turned out beautifully! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe. I particularly appreciate the gluten-free ones.
Youโre welcome, Patty!
I have your Love Real Food cookbook and am interested in trying your quiche recipe. Do you by chance have a crust recipe that uses whole wheat flour? Almond meal can be pretty pricey, and Iโm assuming I canโt simply just substitute flour. Would love some guidance!
You can try to use whole wheat in this recipe. Let me know what you think!
This was delicious! Enjoyed the leftovers cold the next day for lunch and loved it maybe even more!
Great to hear, Kaitlin!
I would like to make this and am wondering if I can use spelt flour for the crust instead of almond. Has anyone tried this?
The insides are delicious (I love arugula and mushrooms!), and could be swapped out for a variety of other ingredients for endless possibilities. This was my first time using almond meal to make a crust, and while the flavor is excellent I might need some tweaks to my methods. My โdoughโ didnโt come together with 1/3 c olive oil and 1 T + 1 t waterโฆit was still loose and grainy, which made for a tasty, but crumbly crust, especially on the bottom. Next time should I add more oil/water to bring the ingredients together first? (I used Sprouts Almond Meal โ which is very coarse, and the only almond meal I could find in the area โ and a cast iron skillet.)
Outstanding recipe! Made a couple swaps, but thatโs the beauty of a great recipe, you can tweak and still get excellent results! Love your work, keep it going, Kate!
Thank you, John!
Excellent crust made in a cast iron skillet! Have made this recipe several times. Iโve found that this works great with other veggie combos as well.
Great to hear, Randy!
Excellent! Followed exactly as described, and it worked wonderfully.
Thatโs great to hear, Jessica!
Got up late today and hubby needed an early (for us) lunch before chess club. He also announced heโd had a gout attack last night, so I needed something good, satisfying, safe and fast. And I found this. I so wanted to make it in the crust โ but didnโt have an hour. Sooo, skillet frittata! But having failed at those (always) I googled a how-to and guess which food blogger was atop the list. I was in too much hurry to notice that until after, but you saved me twice, and him once. The frittata was so tasty, which is huge for someone on a restricted diet, so an extra thank you for this recipe. We had everything on hand except goat cheese, so put in just a little Swiss and a sprinkle of grated parm over the top. Added a bit of garlic powder and thyme since those were supposed to be in the crust. All the ingredients in this quiche are actually good for fighting gout so I will be getting more arugula soon and weโll enjoy it with the almond meal crust. What a treat!
PS The skillet frittata came out perfectly. Iโve saved those instructions as well; thank you.
I loved the cast iron pan. I used a 12โณ and it still worked really well. I had a lot of asparagus so I used that and gruyere cheese. I would add more salt, maybe celery salt for added flavour.
But the basis is there for me to really experiment. Thank you!
I made this quiche and really liked the recipe but am getting so fed up having to look up the conversion from US measurements to metric (which practically the whole rest of the world uses) that Iโm starting to block US recipe sites. Cooks here in Australia usually include the US measurements for the benefit of Americans. Time yโall did the same!!
i made with green banana flour and it was also very delicious however I think no need to bake the crust more than 10 minutes.
Could you please give me some suggestions with which to replace the goat cheese? Thanks!
Made this for a dinner party and it turned out great! I followed the recipe exactly and used almond flour. Would 100% make this again.
I followed instructions exactly and it came out perfect! Smells soooo good! I chose this recipe to take to a luncheon and always a little nervous when making for the first time but with the positive reviews I took a chance. Wonโt know how it tastes until a little latter today. I wish I could post a picture
In your Love Cookbook itโs spinach and artichoke- i came to say i made it with dandelion greens and a 1/2 almond meal 1/2 hazelnut meal crust. It was great.
I made a variation of this using asparagus and onions instead of the mushrooms. I accidentally left out the arrugala but it was a big hit at our book club where we have a few gluten-free friends. The crust was really easy to make and delicious.
Hi Kate
Is it possible to make this without eggs ?
Iโve made this a few times and it is always so so good!!
I am going to make this for friends because it sounds wonderful! Is it possible to bake the crust abhor ahead of time?
Should you just serve it with a salad?
Thanks,
Dorotha
Hi Dorothea, yes, you can make the crust a day ahead. A simple side salad would pair very well.