Smoked Salmon Crustless Quiche

Name: Smoked Salmon Crustless Quiche
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces smoked salmon (chopped or shredded); 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (~3 oz); ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions (2-3 green onions); 3 ounces cream cheese; 2 cups milk; 1 cup Original Bisquick; 4 large eggs; 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest ((optional) or lemon zest); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon white pepper

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Perfect for using leftover salmon, this easy Salmon Quiche is a riff on the vintage Impossible Pie recipe. Quick, simple prep; ready to eat in under an hour.

Slice of crustless quiche on small plate, garnished with oranges and green onion slices. Remaining quiche in pie plate in the background.

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What is an Impossible Pie?
Salmon Quiche Ingredients
How to Make Impossible Pie
Substitutions
FAQ
More Seafood Recipes
Serving Suggestions
Smoked Salmon Crustless Quiche

What is an Impossible Pie?

Impossible pies were ubiquitous in the 1970s and '80s, when they gave working mom's like mine a reason to keep a box of premade baking mix in the pantry at all times. (For this recipe, you can use a store-mix, or make homemade baking mix.) The "impossible" part occurs during baking, as the baking mix sinks to the bottom of the dish and forms a soft, crust-like base for the pie.

Impossible Pies became popular because they are fast, easy, and extremely budget-friendly. A great way to use leftovers, you can throw almost anything into the mix and have dinner on the table in an hour, with only about 10 minutes of actual work. One of the things we love about this salmon quiche recipe is that it can extend a single leftover salmon fillet into another entire meal.

The basic Impossible Pie Recipe is a simple mixture of milk, baking mix, and eggs. To that you can add almost limitless combinations of proteins, aromatics, and seasonings to create a savory marriage of frittata and traditional quiche. For example, in the case of this salmon quiche recipe, smoked salmon, cheeses, orange zest, and onions are added.

Salmon Quiche Ingredients

Smoke salmon: We recommend using hot-smoked salmon when making this recipe. We also make this with leftover grilled salmon, which a a good substitute for smoked salmon in this case. Do not use cold-smoked salmon (i.e., lox, gravlax) for this recipe.
Bisquick: You can use the store-mix, or make homemade baking mix.
Cheddar: Use any cheddar, jack, or other semi-hard cheese. Avoid using pre-grated cheese if possible to avoid the added starch (usually potato starch) that comes with it. The starch helps keep the grated cheese from clumping; however, it also thickens any recipe in which it is used.
Cream cheese: We have made this quiche both with full-fat cream cheese and Neufchatel, with equally good results.
Milk: Use 2% or whole milk if possible. We have not yet tested this recipe using any alternative milks.
Green onions: Use whatever onion you have on hand: red, sweet, or yellow onions will all work. Just be sure to chop them finely before adding.
Orange zest: This is totally optional, but it adds a nice little citrusy brightness to the quiche. Lemon zest is also tasty.
Eggs
Salt
Pepper

How to Make Impossible Pie

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

Use shortening or butter to grease a 10" pie dish (or 8" square pan).

I don't usually use vegetable shortening (i.e., Crisco), but this is one of the rare occasions when it is the best product for the job. You need to have a study barrier between the egg mix and the pan to keep it from sticking. Cooking spray doesn't work as well.

Mix the smoked salmon, green onions, and grated cheese together and pour into the prepared pie plate.

Place, eggs, milk, Bisquick, and seasonings in a blender and pulse until smooth.

You can add the cream cheese two different ways.

Add it to the blended mix: Pulsing the cream cheese directly into the milk and egg mixture is the easiest way to go. You have to be careful though: if the cream cheese emulsifies into the mixture, it will be not allow the baking mix to settle as much as it could. Just a few quick pulses should do the the job. The resulting crust is robust, but more frittata-like. (We prefer this option.)
Add cubed cream cheese evenly across the top: Add the cream cheese in small cubes evenly over the top of the salmon mixture. This results in a more traditional Impossible crust.

Overhead shot of batter in blender cup, aside cast iron pie dish filled with chopped salmon, green onions, and grated cheddar.

Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pie plate over the smoked salmon mixture.

Use a fork or a chopstick to more the filling around a bit so that the liquid mixture makes it to the bottom of the pan.

Crustless quiche (Impossible pie) prepped in a cast iron pie dish.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean.

Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before serving. (This is part of the cooking process.)

Substitutions

Smoked salmon: For something completely different, try subbing in ham or chicken for the smoked salmon.

FAQ

Whats the difference between brine-cured and smoked salmon?

Cured salmon can be broken down into two basic categories: brine-cured salmon, and smoked salmon (hot & cold).

Smoked salmon is a blanket term for salmon of any origin (wild, farmed) or cut (fillet, steak) that is cured with hot or cold smoke. Cold-Smoked Salmon is smoked significantly longer and at a lower temperature than hot-smoked, which results in a texture that is similar to lox, but with an infused smoky flavor.

Brine-Cured Salmon
Lox and Gravlax fall into the brine-cure category. Lox and Gravlax are both salt-cured, but unlike smoked salmon, do not go through a smoking process. The difference between lox and gravlax is in the brining spices: gravlax is cured with sugar, salt, and dill, rather than a salt brine.

Overhead shot of on slice of pie on plate, garnished with orange slices, and remaining pie in pie dish to the side.

Do you love omelets and fritattas? Check out our list of 30+ delicious, easy-to-make frittata recipes; then grab your skillet and have some fun!

More Seafood Recipes

We love smoked salmon! Check out these delicious recipes for Smoked Salmon Chowder (with Leeks & Fresh Tarragon), Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, and Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups!

Serving Suggestions

As with most quiches, we like a little fruit on the side, especially for brunch. Oranges pairs with salmon particularly well, as do any kind of berry: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries.

For a tasty lunch or light dinner, try it with cranberry orange couscous or a light carrot salad, or mango avocado salad.

Mr B and I both enjoy a little spice on our as well. If you want to zing things up, sprinkle on your favorite hot sauce.

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5 from 1 vote

Perfect for using leftover salmon, this easy "impossible pie" recipe makes its own crust. Quick, simple prep; ready to eat in under an hour.

Adapted from The Lake House Bed & Breakfast in Lincoln City, Oregon.

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:35

Total Time:45

Servings: servings

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Renee

Equipment

1 Blender immersion or upright
1 Cast Iron Pie Dish (10-inch) or other pie dish

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

6 ounces smoked salmon chopped or shredded
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ~3 oz
⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions 2-3 green onions
3 ounces cream cheese
2 cups milk
1 cup Original Bisquick Try this homemade version!
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional) or lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F | 205°C.
Use shortening or butter to grease a 10" pie dish (or 8" square pan).
Mix smoked salmon, green onions, and grated cheese together and pour into the prepared pie plate.
Place, eggs, milk, Bisquick, and seasonings in a blender and pulse until smooth.
You can add the cream cheese two different ways.
Add it to the blended mix: Pulsing the cream cheese directly into the milk and egg mixture is the easiest way to go. You have to be careful though: if the cream cheese emulsifies into the mixture, it will be not allow the baking mix to settle as much as it could. Just a few quick pulses should do the the job. The resulting crust is robust, but more frittata-like. (We prefer this option.)
Add cubed cream cheese evenly across the top: Add the cream cheese in small cubes evenly over the top of the salmon mixture. This results in a more traditional Impossible crust.
Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pie plate over the smoked salmon mixture.
Use a fork or a chopstick to more the filling around a bit so that the liquid mixture makes it to the bottom of the pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean.
Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

We recommend using hot-smoked salmon when making this recipe. We also make this with leftover grilled salmon, which a a good substitute for smoked salmon in this case.

Do not use cold-smoked or brine-cured salmon (i.e., lox or gravlax).