Crustless Three-Cheese Tart with Spinach & Hearts of Palm

For the past week or so I have been moving a container of cottage cheese around in my fridge. I don't eat cottage cheese, mind you, I bought it to use in a recipe. The trouble is, after I got home, I couldn't remember what recipe it was, and searching efforts were fruitless. So today, a particularly cold and gloomy day, I decided I was going to do something with that cottage cheese. I wanted a nice warm lunch, so decided to make some sort of crustless quiche/tart, using it to get rid of all of the errant ingredients in my fridge.

Basing this upon the Cheese Peta recipe of my late aunt (you can find that recipe here), I whisked together eggs, cottage cheese, half a package of frozen chopped spinach that I had thawed and drained, then stirred in some cheese, sliced hearts of palm, and baked it. It was wonderful! I had it with a nice warm crusty roll slathered with butter, and it was the most satisfying late afternoon lunch.

This was so good that I'm thinking it could probably be baked in an 8” x 8” square pan, cut into squares (or diamonds if you're feeling fancy), and served as a hot hors d'oeuvre. Consider this post as an encouragement to get you imagining what you can do with the items that are in your fridge. In the meantime, I encourage you to try this recipe; it's delicious. Cut small slivers to serve as a side dish alongside baked ham, or larger portions to serve as a main dish. You’re going to love it.

Crustless Three-Cheese Tart with Spinach & Hearts of Palm

 3 eggs

1 c. small curd cottage cheese

½ of a 10-oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach

½ of a 14-oz. jar Melissa’s Hearts of Palm, sliced into ½” rounds

1 c. freshly grated pepper jack cheese

1 c. freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 T. flour

Few gratings of fresh nutmeg

¼ c. butter, melted

 Preheat oven to 350° F.  Spray a 9” pie pan with Pam.

Thaw spinach and drain very well. Whisk together the eggs and cottage cheese. Stir in spinach, hearts of palm, cheeses, flour and nutmeg. Pour butter over all and stir to combine. Pour into pie pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool ten minutes before slicing.

 NOTE: This recipe can be made the day prior to baking.  Just mix it together, pour in into a pie plate, cover, and keep refrigerated until ready to bake.This is a nutritious, home-cooked comfort food that's definitely healthier than most restaurant quiches, cheesy casseroles, or takeout options—thanks to the protein punch, veggies, no crust, and real ingredients. It's not a "light salad" level of low-calorie, but it's a wholesome, satisfying choice for lunch, brunch, or dinner, especially if you're prioritizing protein and vegetables over ultra-low-fat eating.

If you'd like to make it even healthier:

Use low-fat or 2% cottage cheese.

Reduce cheese to 1½ cups total or swap in part-skim varieties.

Cut butter to 2–3 Tbsp or use olive oil.

Add more veggies (e.g., extra spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini) to bulk it up.