I still haven’t figured out what came first, the chicken or the egg!
I LOVE eggs. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…. brunch. Any time, any where, just about any way. Hard boiled, scrambled, poached, in an omelet, or just plain old “dunkable” as my daughter used to call the over easy. Frittatas, eggs benedict, quiche, or a toad-in-the-hole — you name it, I like it. Well, I think maybe any way other than sunny side up or “snotty” as I call them. Oh, and let’s not forget there are the devilled eggs and all the countless basics made from the egg…..
I remember growing up and getting our eggs from a local egg farmer. Another Hungarian family. I went to school with the boys, and I think when I look back, I may have been smitten with the one my age in elementary school. Dare I say he may have even been my first kiss. Anyways, I remember going almost every week to their place to get flats of eggs, checking out the farm and how eggs were processed. We often brought home the cracks to use for baking and cooking.
I’m sharing with you my simple quiche recipe, the basis of which comes from www.eggs.ca. The basic custard for the quiche is simple. Just eggs and cream. The rest is up to you!
So I am not going to lie, given that baking is not me forte, my quiche is made with a store boughten deep dish pie shell and usually made two at a time. But if you like baking, a fresh pie crust would make your quiche even more exquisite. If my memory serves me, there may even be a quick and easy pie shell recipe out there that you can make using products like Bisquick®.
My favourite additions to this base are probably ham or bacon with onions, mushrooms, red peppers… maybe even with some seasonal asparagus. My daughter throws handfuls of spinach in almost everything she makes, including her quiche. This really is one of those recipes that is never the same — it is about what you like, what you have on hand or simply what you are in the mood for — just don’t forget the seasoning! And we cannot forget about the cheese: I almost always use some sharp cheese like swiss or emmental. Cheddar is always a lovely standby, but like the hamburger bun, I am also a cheese snob. Not just any cheese will do. My next quiche may just be an experiment with some beautiful stilton cheese.
This recipe is best served up fresh with a beautiful green salad on the side, but will also freeze well for an easy weeknight dinner or easy lunches for those “in office” days.
Real men may not eat quiche, but that’s ok, because it only means more for me!
Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 deep dish pie shell
- 1 1/2 c half and half cream
- 3/4 c cheese (swiss, emmental, gruyere, cheddar)
- assorted vegies like onion, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, asparagus
- assorted meat like ham, bacon or even crab meat
- 1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder
- 1 dash cayenne pepper or chilli flakes
Instructions
- I use a store boughten frozen deep dish pie shell, but hand made pastry will work!
- Beat the eggs well. Add salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne/chilli flakes. Add in the cream. Set aside.
- Chop your favorite ingredients like bacon, mushrooms and broccoli, or ham, mushroom, red onions, and spinach.
- Let the pie shell sit room temperature for a few minutes and then poke the pie shell with a fork so it doesn't bubble when it cooks.
- Add approximately 1/4 c each of your chosen ingredients to the pie shell. Add 3/4 cup of cheese.
- Add the egg and cream mixture overtop your filling in the pie shell.
- Bake for 45 to 60 min in a preheated 350 degree oven until cooked through.