Quiche

My wife and I are huge fans of quiche. What’s not to like though? It’s a creamy baked egg pie with endless filling combinations and thus, the highly customizable quality we love in our foods! The recipe below is a basic template…a blank canvass if you will for you to build your own art with. It is also a little less creamy and a lot healthier than classic quiche recipes because it uses 1% milk instead of heavy cream or half and half (which we find to be an acceptable trade-off).

Back to the customizable quality thought, here are a few examples of quiches that we’ve made that have worked out well:

• Arugula and Goat Cheese
• Asparagus and Brie
• Asparagus and Onion with tomato and Gouda
• Asparagus and Swiss
• Bacon and Cheddar
• Bacon, Corn, and Cheese
• Bacon and Tomato with Swiss (pictured in this post)
• Broccoli and Cheddar
• Caramelized Onion and Gouda
• Garden Veggie (green beans, onion, mushroom)
• Ham and Swiss
• Mushroom and Swiss
• Pizza Quiche (your favourite pizza toppings and mozzarella)
• Roasted Red Pepper with Feta
• Sausage, Onion, and Cheese
• Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato with Feta
• Western Omelet (Ham, Peppers, Onion, and Cheese)

We could go on, but I think it’s pretty clear that you can do just about anything with quiche, so I’ll move right along to the recipe portion.

Time: 35-90 minutes (depending on ingredient preferences and whether you are making your crust from scratch or using a pre-made one)

Ingredients: Makes 1 quiche in a 12 inch pie pan (although it would work for an 8 inch pan if you wanted a thicker crust)

• Eggs (exact quantity depends on how many ingredients you use for your filling, but general methods to get the right amount are in the cooking method section below. I wound up using 8)
• Milk
• Whatever fillings you’re going with
• Dough (store bought works as well):
  • 1 Cup of All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1-2 Oz cold water (roughly)

Method:

• To make the dough:
  • Cut your butter into cubes, and place in your food processor with the flour. Pulse (careful….the first pulse or two, flour will want to escape) until everything is combined.
  • Slowly add your cold water in about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each (to ensure you don’t overwater your dough).
  • When your dough starts to form little pellets, you’re almost where you want to be. Add just a little more water until the pellets become bigger and clump together (see pictures below)
  • Remove from the food processor, shape together, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough ball sit in the fridge for a half hour or so to fully hydrate the flour.
  • Then remove from the fridge, and roll your dough on a clean, lightly floured surface with your rolling pin until it is the right size for your pie pan
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and rub down your pie pan with a little butter, shortening, or oil. (If you are adding any meats to your quiche, cook them now as well)
• Place your dough in the pan (any parts that are hanging over the edge can be ripped off and reapplied to areas that need a little boost to get to the top of the rim). Press lightly around the sides where the bottom meets the edge to remove air bubbles that will form between the crust and the pan.
• Cut your filling ingredients, and place them in the pan on top of the crust (can put the cheese in now or after the egg depending on whether you want cheesiness on top or throughout)
• Crack your eggs (start with 4 at first) and pour in some milk. Then, beat with a fork or a whisk to combine.
• Pour your eggs over your ingredients to see how full the pan will be. If you need more eggs, crack some more, and repeat the prior step. If you have too many, pour the leftovers into a frying pan, and make a little snack while the quiche cooks (or share with your dog after your scrambled egg cools)
• Place in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (about 35-45 minutes depending on your pan size and number of eggs)
• Remove from the oven, and let sit for a few minutes
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!