Southwest Crustless Quiche

I grew up eating quiche. In fact, I remember one of my dad's favorite phrases being "real men don't eat quiche" which was usually spoken just before he took his first honkin' bite! My mom had a great crustless quiche recipe that she made fairly often and I actually served that very recipe at my bridesmaids' brunch a few weeks before my wedding. Fast forward a few years and a couple of kids, and I still love to make a big breakfast on Saturday morning that often includes quiche. Crustless quiche is a great way to go because you aren't spending unwanted calories on crust and it allows you to eat extra bacon! Especially because you're trying to be good so you're using turkey bacon, right? (Yeah, me neither). So, about the crustless quiche, the ingenious twist comes when the black beans sink to the bottom as it bakes, forming a makeshift crust. If you think you can't live without crust in a quiche you should try this recipe, because the black beans may be a great substitute for you. After that, if you're still not sold on them just shut up and have some more bacon. That's what I would do!

Southwest Crustless Quiche (adapted from cookincanuck.com)

5 large eggs
5 large egg whites
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2/3 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
1 roma tomato, chopped
3 oz. reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use any cheese you prefer)
2 T. chopped cilantro for garnish
Salsa, for serving (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside. Place the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they are well beaten. Add the salt, pepper, black beans, tomato and cheese to the bowl and whisk to combine. Place the prepared pie plate on a cookie sheet (this allows easy maneuverability when transferring the quiche to the oven) then pour the egg mixture into the prepared pie plate. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the quiche is set and lightly browned. Let sit for 10 minutes, garnish with cilantro and serve with salsa if desired.

6 servings (152 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com