Basic Quiche Recipe with Variations

This recipe provides you with an excellent custard to use for making quiche. All you need to do is figure out what filling ingredients you would like to use. The possibilities are endless. Serve with a vegetable or fresh green salad on the side for a tasty supper.

Crust: Other ideas for a crust instead of the traditional one: polenta (shape the polenta mixture in the pan as if it were pastry and let solidify, then bake until just turning brown before filling), or mix a little cornmeal or oatmeal into the pie crust dough. Another alternative is a potato crust (see Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust), which is delicious. Always pre-bake (or blind-bake) the crust. When an egg custard hits an unbaked shortcrust dough, the liquid does what you’d expect: it seeps all the way down to the bottom of the pan and ruins all hope of buttery flakes. I also will brush the crust with bacon grease or butter once it is baked and before adding the filling to help protect the crust.

Custard: The French are masters of the quiche and long-ago settled on the perfect formula of one part egg to two parts liquid dairy. A standard large egg weighs two ounces and a cup of milk is eight ounces, so a good rule of thumb is two eggs per cup of milk.

Fillings: Fillings can be anything: meats, cheese, vegetables, herbs. See variations below.

Recipe:

1 pie crust shell (bottom only) - or try one of the suggestions above.

For the custard:

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups half and half (or you can use cream, or a mix of mix and cream) - 1/2 cups of dairy for each egg
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 pinch cayenne
• black pepper
• parsley, optional

Note: Too much egg will cause the texture to be rubbery, while not enough means the custard filling won’t set.

Filling Variations:

• Ham, fried or green onion, sliced tomatoes, Cheddar cheese & a touch of oregano or basil
• Asparagus, Leek & Gruyere cheese
• Asparagus, ham, and Parmesan cheese
• Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese
• Tomato & Goat Cheese
• Spinach & Smoked Gouda
• Asparagus & shrimp or crab w/ a mild cheese such as Monteray Jack or goat cheese & fresh parsley and chives
• Chicken, broccoli & Parmesan cheese (don't use too much Parmesan cheese - only about 1/4 cup)
• Loaded Potato Quiche: 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham; 1 1/2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes, thawed; 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz); 3 medium green onions, sliced (3 tablespoons); 5 eggs; 3/4 cup half-and-half; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; Serve on the side: 3 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled; sour cream and additional sliced green onions
• Charred poblano, corn and bacon, serve w/ fresh salsa on the side
• Make a Tex-Mex quiche with a crust made from crushed tortilla shells (1 1⁄2 cups corn tortilla chips, very finely crushed and 2 tablespoons butter, melted. Prebake). Or use whole tortillas and overlap them in a greased pie pan.
  Fill the shell with sliced tomatoes and top it with an egg mixture with shredded Monterey jack or a cheese like queso manchego, a firm Mexican cheese. Toss chopped red bell pepper and onion into the egg. Add jalapenos if your family enjoys spicy meals. Serve the quiche with a dollop of guacamole and make a Mexican chopped salad with greens, black beans and corn kernels. Add some heat to your salad with a creamy chipotle dressing, or opt for a creamy ranch dressing.

General Instructions:

Make the pie crust dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out and fit into a 9" pie plate. Prick the pie crust on the bottom and along the sides and bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 - 8 minutes until the crust just sets. You don't want to brown it but just have the crust set so that the egg mixture doesn't seep in later and make it soggy.

Next, ready your filling ingredients. Grate your cheese if using. Fry bacon until crisp, if using. Cook any meats. Also fry any mushrooms or onions you may be using. Blanch vegetables. Any ingredient that may not cook fully should be cooked before adding to the quiche. Leftovers are great to add for this reason.

Make the custard filling: beat the eggs well in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Add the half and half, nutmeg, sugar, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and continue to whisk until all is well incorporated.

Lightly brush some bacon grease or butter over the bottom and sides of the pie crust so the crust does not get soggy. Spread the filling ingredients (excluding cheese) over the bottom of the crust to cover and sprinkle on grated cheese, if using. Pour the egg mixture on top.

Place the oven rack near the bottom of the oven. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes; then turn the oven down to 325 deegrees and cook until the custard has set. A knife inserted into the center will come out clean. This should take about 30 - 35 minutes longer.

Bake quiche on the bottom rack. This is the only way to ensure the crust is cooked through before the top gets too dark. It also helps the filling cook evenly.

Let it rest before serving. The filling will continue to cook and firm up as it cools, getting it to just the right consistency.

Makes 1 quiche - 6 to 8 servings