5 Minute Microwave Quiche for the Lunch Box
My kids enjoy taking hot lunches to school in thermal jars, but sometimes I get into a rut packing the same things over and over. (Refried beans and leftover spaghetti — I’m looking at you!) I don’t mind spending a few minutes making them something warm for their lunches, but time in the morning is tight so I usually don’t have time to cook something complicated. Enter the 5-minute Microwave Quiche for the Lunch Box! It’s super fast to throw together, a great source of protein and I almost always have the ingredients for it in the fridge.
Ingredients for two lunchbox quiches
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices of deli ham
- 6-7 grape tomatoes (a small handful)
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- butter (for greasing ramekins)
You will also need two 6 ounce microwave safe bowls or ramekins, insulated food jars and lunch boxes for packing the food.
First thing — put a kettle or pan of water on to boil. You’ll see why in a minute!
Then chop the ham and tomatoes into bite sized pieces. If you don’t have ham or tomatoes on hand, no worries. This recipe is extremely flexible so you can swap in different meat or veggies and still get great results.
Beat the eggs until they’re well combined, then stir in the ham and tomatoes along with a tablespoon of the milk.
Generously grease the ramekins with the butter. You really want to get a lot on there because if you don’t the eggs will stick to the bowl and you will spend a great deal of time scrubbing it. I’m speaking from experience here, so trust me on this.
Divide the egg mixture evenly among the two bowls, then drop a tablespoon of cream cheese cut into small pieces onto the top.
Is your water boiling yet? Once it is, fill your thermoses with the hot water, set the lids on top and let them sit while you finish with the quiches. Preheating the jars like this warms them up and ensures that the quiches stay at a safe temperature until lunch time. You don’t want your kids to eat luke-warm eggs that have been sitting around for a couple of hours and this step will give them a nice hot lunch.
While the jars are warming, microwave the quiches. I cooked mine for one and 1/2 minutes on the high setting then gave them a stir to help them cook evenly. I put them back in the microwave for another 2 minutes until they were cooked all the way through and very hot. Your microwave is probably different from mine though, so keep an eye on them and if they are not fully cooked after three and a half minutes add time until they are done.
Empty the hot water from the thermal jars. Run a knife around the edge of the bowl, then transfer the quiches into the now-warmed thermal jars and seal them up. Pack the rest of the lunch with simple sides. And don’t forget to pack a fork or a spoon in the lunch bag so your kid can eat the delicious quiche you made her!