To make a good quiche you need to start with a good pie crust you can make your own or a good quality store bought is fine also.
Par-bake the crust or brush with egg white prior to filling.
Now about the quiche. Once you learn the basics you can make any type you like. I like a mix of vegetable and protein, the goal is to end up with about 4 cups of liquid if using a standard 9″ pie pan.
The basic list of ingredients are;
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups choice of cheese; cheddar, feta, Monterey jack, Parmesan, mozzarella, even cottage cheese but if you choose a soft cheese cut down on the milk and simply increase cheese.
- 1/2 – 1 cup Choice of vegetable; spinach, asparagus, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, par cooked broccoli, etc
- 1/2 – 1 cup Choice of protein; shrimp, crab meat, ham, cooked and crumbled bacon…
- 1/2 Milk, half and half or heavy cream.
- Seasonings to suit the combination. Some of my favorites to use are dill, black or red pepper, hot sauce and parsley.
- 1 T Flour
First off I start mixing the milk, eggs and seasonings in a large 8 cup glass mixing bowl, if you do not have one with measurements consider getting one they are rather handy. Sprinkle flour over shredded cheese and toss. Add cheese, vegetables and protein to mix. I try to make sure that I am measuring about 4 cups. So I will add a little more cheese, vegetable or protein to make up the difference.
Pour into par-baked pie crust (homemade or store bought) Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes. Use a knife in center to see if it comes out clean. Allow to set for a few minutes before cutting. Serve with a garden salad, fresh cut fruits or with some croissants.
Some of my favorite combinations are:
Feta, spinach, mushroom and bacon – dill and pepper are the only seasonings.
Crab, shrimp and cheddar / jack mix, onion, garlic, a tsp of Old Bay® , dash of hot sauce and parsley in this one!
Asparagus spears arranged in bottom of pan then on top again are pretty and Monterey
Another asparagus version is to use cottage cheese or ricotta, delete milk and 1/2 cup of mozzarella
Enjoy!