What if I told you that you could make a delicious, fluffy quiche in a mug right in your microwave? In FIVE MINUTES? Well, you’d have to start making a healthy veggie-filled, high-protein breakfast in the morning and stop with the excuses, that’s what! This version is spinach and cheddar, but it’s easy to adapt with other ingredients you have available. Perfect for busy mornings and college dorm students.
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I don’t have to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day- you’ve heard it a million times! But despite knowing how awesome it is, so many people still skip breakfast most days, and very frequently because they feel rushed or that there is no time. Or they grab something full of sugar because it’s easy.
I know I always feel better if I get some protein and veggies in the morning, and this microwave quiche is the solution!
Literally, the eggs cook perfectly in the microwave. It’s like a miracle to behold. A delicious, delicious miracle.
This version is spinach and cheddar, and I also added some bacon I happened to have already cooked to it. But you can do a plain cheese quiche, or add other veggies that you have.
I wish I had known about this in college when I had nary but a microwave with which to cook!
Hope you find this helps with busy morning routines as much as I did.
Ingredients and Substitutions
At the most basic level, all you need for a microwave quiche are eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Since this is a spinach and cheddar version, I’ve included those ingredients too, but you can really play around with this and make it your own!
- Eggs
- Milk – half and half would work well here, too.
- Spinach
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Cooked Bacon – this is optional, and bacon can also be cooked in the microwave!
Tips for using spinach in quiche
You can use frozen or fresh spinach for this. The key here is to get as much liquid as possible out of the spinach before microwaving the quiche. Otherwise, the quiche will be a little bit watery on the bottom.
Don’t fret if this happens to you- it will still be delicious! But, here are some tricks to avoiding a watery quiche.
- If you are using frozen spinach: Place the frozen spinach in a mesh sieve
and run warm water over it until it wilts down a bit and thaws. Using a wooden spoon, press as much liquid as possible out of the spinach through the sieve.
- If you are using fresh spinach: Fill your mug with fresh baby spinach leaves and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for one minute, until leaves steam/wilt down. Drain the liquid from the mug and press the spinach with a spoon to ensure as much liquid is removed as possible.
How to make Microwave Quiche in a Mug
Once you have your spinach prepped, just add it to a mug with an egg, shredded cheddar, milk, and salt and pepper (and bacon, if you are being bold). Beat thoroughly with a fork to mix well, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave on high for 3 minutes (or until quiche is fully cooked).
That’s it! You now have a gorgeous healthy from-scratch quiche to start your day in mere minutes.
Other quick and easy egg recipes
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5-Minute Microwave Quiche in a Mug (Spinach and Cheddar)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped spinach
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 slice cooked bacon chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper
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Instructions
- If using fresh spinach, place it in mug with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for one minute. Remove from microwave and drain the water and liquid from spinach thoroughly.
- If using frozen spinach, make sure it is completely thawed and drained and add it to the mug. (If there is too much liquid, the quiche will be runny. I like to put the thawed spinach in a mesh sieve and press firmly with a wooden spoon to do remove as much liquid as possible.)
- Crack the 1 egg into the mug with the 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped spinach and add the 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 slice cooked bacon (if using). Add a pinch of salt and pepper – you won't need much salt since the cheese has salt in it. Mix with a fork until thoroughly combined.
- Cover with a damp paper towel or inverted plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes (see note on timing below), or until fully cooked.
Notes
- Cooking time: If you have a powerful microwave, you may need less time. If you are unsure, check it at 2 minutes, then again at 2 1/2 minutes. If the eggs seem watery, they need more time. But if they are solid, then you’re good to go!
- Preventing a mess:Sometimes, even a damp paper towel isn’t enough to prevent a microwave mess. If you find that your eggs have a tendency to pop and make a mess, cover it with a small plate instead.
- If you want to use other veggies, keep in mind that any water content from those veggies may make the quiche soggy. I recommend using leftover roasted or cooked veggies in this quiche, or giving them a quick sauté before adding.
- Sun dried tomatoes are a great addition to this quiche, especially in lieu of bacon.
- If the eggs are sticking to the mug after cooking, try greasing the bottom and sides of the mug next time with oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Christina
I tried out this recipe this morning and it turned out great! I used fresh spinach and drained as much water as I could by squeezing it out with the back of a spoon after cooking for a minute. My quiche wasn’t watery in the end at all. I was able to avoid cooking a strip of bacon by instead just sprinkling some bacon bits in my eggy mix before microwaving, and it made for a delightful little breakfast on a lazy morning. I would def like to try experimenting with other combinations of flavors next time. :) 5 stars
Elizabeth
Yay! So happy you liked it, and thank you for the thoughtful comment with all your suggestions!
NovelGeek
Hey i tried this recipe and it came out really watery. Can you help me identify what I did wrong
Elizabeth
Hi! Most likely, it came out watery because the spinach had too much liquid in it. I suggest thawing it and draining it, but also squeezing it as much as you can to get the most liquid out. I usually put the thawed spinach in a mesh strainer and press down with a wooden spoon until I can’t get any more liquid out. Alternatively, you can put it in a clean kitchen towel and wring the moisture out. Hope that helps!
Max
Hi,
I own a b&b in England. I offer a quite extensive menu and I was looking for a quirky veggie item to put on it. I needed something easy to make as well, it’s only me in the kitchen cooking for 19 people. I plumped for this, so i will be interested to see what my guests think. I hope they are kind on TripAdvisor…
Elizabeth
Hope you (and your guests) like it! :-)
AJ
What wattage is your microwave? I know the wattage can have a big impact on the cook time.
Your recipe rocks… can’t wait to make it.
Elizabeth
Oh man… I have no idea! I’ve moved since I wrote this recipe. If your microwave cooks quickly, I recommend just shaving off a bit of time and seeing if it’s done. You will be able to tell if the egg is cooked. If it’s not, throw it back in. Hope you like it!
better off without tv
Everything sounds great- this recipe is one I will try!
Elizabeth
Hope you like it!
tayy
Could you use other kinds of veggie?
Elizabeth
For sure! Just make sure the veggies aren’t too watery, since it will make the quiche mushy and liquidy. Adding cooked veggies (such as leftover roasted veggies) would work perfectly. I’ve added chopped tomatoes before and blotted them as dry as I could with a paper towel, which worked fine. Hope that helps!
Viviani
I was so bored to make breakfast for myself yet wanted to eat something deli. Found this, tried and tasted! Verdict – Yum!!! Easy n quick!! I added a few flakes of red pepper and omitted the bacon. Thank you for the lovely idea. Next time planning to add bell peppers ????
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it!
Cheryl Elane Blom
Hey Elizabeth, Thanks so much for this idea, I made it this morning…..YUMMY ! Next time I’m adding some turkey sausage and garlic OMG !!!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! YUM turkey sausage and garlic… the possibilities are endless!
Wasantha
What’s the red stuff in the pic? Thanks
Elizabeth
It’s the bacon- it came out a bit more red than brown in the photos!
Paul J. Mikulcik
Nutritional information?
Elizabeth
Hi Paul! I don’t usually include nutrition information in my posts for two reasons: 1) I don’t count calories myself (instead I try and stick to eating a variety of “real food”), and 2) because I’m not a nutritionist, I can’t guarantee accurate information. You can read more about why in my FAQs. However, that there are some great online tools that can help give you an estimate of the nutrition information! This calculator will let you copy and paste the ingredients (you may have to make a few tweaks manually), enter the amount of servings, and it generates a nutrition label with all the info you need. Hope this is helpful!
Janet
I am a school teacher and having a good breakfast is hard. Not to mention I need to lose weight this sounds yummy. Last year I ate granola bars but that got old real fast. I hope this will help to change breakfast this year. Could this be made in the crockpot by increasing the quantity?
Elizabeth
I used to be a teacher too, and was when I wrote this post! I agree- breakfast is so hard as a teacher because how hungry can you possibly be at 6:00 am? But it’s SO necessary. This is perfect. I’ve never tried something like this in the crockpot, but this crockpot quiche looks similar. Hope that helps, and good luck with your school year!
Nikki
You could quadruple the ingredients and bake in the oven then eat cold or reheat in micro
Victoria
How many calories per one cup does this breakfast have? ? Thanks for sharing! Great idea ☺️
Elizabeth
Hi Victoria! I don’t include calorie/nutrition information on my recipes because I can’t guarantee it will be accurate. However, I use a nifty tool to help me get the approximate nutrition information- you just copy and paste the ingredients and designate the servings, and it calculates it for you! Hope you find it helpful :-) Here it is: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Victoria jitaru
Thank you for the suggestion ☺️
Daizy
thank you so much! So simple! I really have no idea why i haven’t come up with such idea earlier – sooo many days just thinking about eating some creamy quiche… now i can please myself without spending a fortune!
Rebecca Oseguera
Hi. I am making this for lunch. Can i reblog it? I am logging my meals at losing200fun to help me lose weight.
Elizabeth
Hi Rebecca- thanks for reaching out about this! I actually just made this recipe (well, a similar one) this morning for breakfast. Yum! You can use one of my photos and link back to my page for the original recipe. Good luck on your weight loss journey!
Sophie
This recipe looks great, I’m going to try it soon! I sadly can’t drink regular milk any more, do you think it would still work with soy or almond milk?
Elizabeth
I would actually just omit the milk- it will be fine without!
bob @ Healthy Urban Cooking
Thanks Elizabeth for saving me from a life of culinary ridicule. I thought I was the only one who did a one-cup microwave breakfast thing.
I began my one-cup cooking as a traveling businessman. (installed computers all over the country) Finding lunch & dinner was always easy, but finding a DECENT breakfast is challenging. (And No, I do not count McDonalds / Burger king as a decent breakfast)
So I would stop at the grocery store and buy 4 items. 1/2 dozen of eggs, 1 package of smoky links, 1 bag of cheddar cheese, and a ceramic coffee mug. (Nowadays, hotels only give you a cardboard coffee cup in the room) At the end of the trip, I would donate or throw out the left-over food.
Elizabeth
Well I, for one, think your eggs+cheese+smoky links breakfast is genius! You’re right- it is SO hard to find decent breakfasts that actually fill you up for more than a half an hour. Great idea for traveling!
Anne
I need to eat lots of protein these days (22 weeks pregnant) so I usually eat two eggs for breakfast but I need to mix up my morning egg routine and this sounds great! Have you made this using additional eggs or do you have any thoughts on if I’d need bigger than the 1-cup container?
Thanks!
Elizabeth
I think you’d be fine doubling the recipe, or just adding another egg with the same amount of other ingredients! The mug I used for the photo is an unusually small mug, so in a normal sized one I think it would be just fine (usually they are more like 1.5 cups). Hope you like it, and congrats on the baby! I’m 36 weeks right now and protein has definitely been my best friend. I find that if I’m feeling poorly, if I eat some red meat I’m almost instantly better. It’s amazing how food works like that :-)
denpick
My trick for bacon is fry an entire 24oz package of Wright’s Applewood Smoked bacon. Drain on paper towels and freeze in a zip lock bag. You can then use one or two slices at a time as needed. The freezing keeps the bacon fresh tasting. Great trick.
Elizabeth
Love this trick- thanks for sharing!
Bobbie
Definitely going to do this tomorrow ,my family loves BACON !
Nikki
Do you have to defrost it first or just chuck it in the microwave with the rest for 3 mins? Plz :)
Elizabeth
The bacon? It needs to be cooked first. You can cook it in the microwave, on the stovetop, or however you normally cook bacon, but don’t throw the raw bacon in with everything else! :-)
Sandra @ Heavenly Deviled Eggs
This is a great idea! I will be making this for breakfast tomorrow.
Elizabeth
Hooray! Hope you like it!
Melissa @ Bits of Umami
And here I was thinking I was the only one cooking eggs in the microwave! Can’t wait to introduce my office to this creation of yours! :)
Elizabeth
Haha, I thought I had made some amazing discovery that nobody knew about when I made eggs in the microwave for the first time, and when I told a few of my students at school they were like, “duh, everyone does that!” And they are in high school. Well, I still think it’s cool :-)
brianna
i’ve done a couple of things like this with eggs, and i am totally in love with this, normally when i make a egg casserole i use a oven and its just a total mess and takes forever to bake!! so i just wanted to say thank you so much! it tastes Delicious! so i will definitely be making this alot more, thank you once again! :-)
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it, and thanks for the comment!