Create-a-Quiche
One of our favorite Christmas meal traditions is quiche. This Bacon-Onion Quiche is our very favorite, but there are times when you want to toss whatever you happen to have on-hand into a crust and bake it. This recipe is designed for just that. This year, we made four quiches--broccoli/cauliflower/garlic/parmesan/cheddar/green onion, ham/swiss/mushroom/onion, onion/cheddar/parmesan, and broccoli/cauliflower/onion/cheddar. They were all devoured in no time flat.
Ingredients:
1 pâte brisée crust (recipe makes 2 9-inch crusts)
Veggies, meats, cheeses and seasonings of your choice
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) salt
1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) pepper
Prepare crust
(I find pre-baking optional, but here are the instructions, if you'd like a crisper crust)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie dough (store-bought or homemade; see foodnetwork.com/piecrust for our favorite recipe) and crimp as desired; chill 30 minutes. Line with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until lightly golden, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool while you prepare the filling. (NOTE: You can skip this step, but the crust won't be as crunchy on the bottom. I skip this step, filling the crust and baking all at one time).
Choose 1/2 cup to 1 cup of veggies
- Asparagus, roasted and chopped
- Broccoli and/or cauliflower, (can use frozen) chopped and sauteed until slightly browned and most of the liquid has cooked away
- Garlic, sliced and lightly sauteed or minced and uncooked
- Roasted or caramelized red peppers, choppped
- Mushrooms, sliced or diced and sautéed
- Fire-roasted tomatoes, fully drained and diced
- Red onions, green onions, yellow onions or shallots, sliced and sauteed or caramelized
Choose 1/2 cup of meat, if you want to
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Sausage, cooked and crumbled
- Ham, chopped
- Chicken, cooked and diced
Choose your cheeses, 3/4 cup to 1 cup, shredded, crumbled, or grated
- Swiss, gruyere or jarlsberg
- Fontina
- Provolone
- Monterey jack or pepper jack
- Cheddar
- Gouda (regular, aged or smoked)
- Mozzarella
- Goat cheese
- Feta
- Parmesan
1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs, or 1-2 teaspoons dried (rosemary, thyme, chives, basil) (Optional)
Assemble your masterpiece!
Whisk eggs, salt, pepper and cream or half-and-half in a large bowl. Stir in herbs.
Spread cheese on the crust, then layer with your veggies and meats
Pour egg mixture on top.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the filling is set and crust is golden-brown, 40 to 50 minutes.
Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.