Quiche Your Way

When I say that this is a recipe for quiche your way, I really mean it. I have a traditional quiche plus ideas for different fillers: vegetables, cheese, etc. Plus, a crustless quiche and a tip for giving it a bit of heat!

I married into a European family. Long story short, my in-laws grew up in North Africa, moved to Nice, France in their teens, met, got married, and moved to the United States in the '60s. They still have super thick accents. I should know, the first time I met them my then-boyfriend (now husband, obviously) left me with them for the longest ten minutes of my life. I couldn't understand a word they were saying! I understand them now, and I love them to death.

I also love my mother-in-law's cooking to death. She's the kind of cook that can throw some ingredients together and make an amazing meal. Unfortunately, she doesn't write down what she does, and I've failed to replicate about 90% of her recipes. When she does write down her recipes, they're a bit Rachael-Ray-like, such as "Toss in the peas" or "Add some butter".

I have, though, mastered the quiche. It's actually quite simple, and the best part is that as long as you know the base recipe (the eggs and milk) you can add whatever you want to make it your own. There are a few quiches that are standard: Quiche Lorraine is basically a quiche with cheese, usually swiss or cheddar, although you can use whatever you want. Quiche Florentine is quiche with spinach and cheese. I use fresh spinach but you can also use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed dry.

In this quiche, I'm following an idea similar to Paula Deen's Spinach Bacon Quiche. I'm using milk instead of heavy cream (or half and half) and turkey bacon. Even my bacon-loving husband doesn't mind the turkey bacon, as long as it's in a recipe. He doesn't care for it by itself.

Turkey bacon gives off such little grease! I usually put a little oil in the bottom of the pan, otherwise the bacon just burns on the bottom instead of crisping up.

Roll out your dough. I know it's store bought, it seems like a silly little step, but store bought is still slightly thick, and I like to make sure it's all even. You then fold the crust into half and then into quarters, making it easier to transfer. You then....

...place the crust in your pie dish and unfold. Use your fingers to make sure the crust is shaped around the pan, including the edges and the bottom.

Layer your fillers, such as spinach, bacon, cheese, asparagus, etc. I'm not a fan of asparagus, but I hear it's great in quiche. Try different meats (ham?), cheeses, and vegetables. Make it yours!

Pour the egg/milk mixture over the fillers.

I love the crispy edges. If you want your quiche less crispy and more uniformly cooked (is uniformly a word?), wrap foil around the edges about halfway through cooking. This will keep the edges from getting too dark.

I've always struggled to find something to serve with quiche because it already had cheese, meat, and spinach, but if you omitted the spinach then you could serve it with a light salad. I usually offer fruit and croissants.

Spinach, Bacon, & Swiss Quiche

Girls in Aprons, recipe by Josette Lafranca and Paula Deen

7 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch salt

1 lb bacon or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

8 oz shredded Swiss cheese

2 cups spinach leaves, julienned

9" pie crust (I use Pillsbury)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Place the pie crust in your 9" pie plate. Layer the spinach, cheese, and bacon, about 3 layers each ingredient. Pour the egg mixture over the fillers.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until eggs are set.

Individual Quiche = Quick, Healthy Breakfast

You can also bake in greased muffin tins. The quiche heats up great for quick breakfasts. Cook for about 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Let cool then remove from pan. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Heat for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

Crustless Quiche

Use 10 eggs, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and half cup milk. Bake in a greased 9x13 at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Filler Options - just make sure you chop your fillers up to make bite-size pieces

Vegetables: Sauteed onions, mushrooms, leeks, broccoli, spinach, bell pepper, asparagus

Cheese: Really, anything. Try to go for something with more flavor (as in no mozzerella). Try a strong cheese you wouldn't normally eat, such as Gruyere or gorgonzola.

Meat: Bacon, turkey bacon, sausage crumbles, ham

Want some heat? The best way to add some heat to your quiche is a few drops of tabasco sauce. I wouldn't suggest red pepper flakes or jalepenos because the heat won't spread evenly, and chances are, the one person who doesn't want to bite into a jalenpeno will be the one who actually bites into it :)