Quiche

I have gone through “quiche phases” in the past. I make them a lot for a while and then I don’t make them for a while. Every time I make them again, they disappear quickly and  I say to myself  “that was delicious and easy, why don’t I make quiche more often”?

I learned a new quiche right after Christmas this past year. I was at my brother–in-law’s and he was trying to use up the leftovers of their “Boxing Day Ham” and so he was making a quiche. He used the leftover ham and added some dried basil – or as he says it baassil. Say it with a short ”a” instead of a long “a” and you now speak like my English brother-in-law. But all kidding aside, the dried basil gave it great flavor and so I have now incorporated dried basil into my ham quiche. Thank you James!

Quiche are great because you can use leftovers, you can make them at any time because they reheat so easily, you can serve them for dinner and then serve them again for breakfast and/or serve them for a snack. You can make them with or without crust and they mix up fairly easy. I happen to love pie crust and I always use Pillsbury Pie unroll-and-fill pie crust. I also use either use whole milk or a can of evaporated, skim milk instead of cream to cut down on the fat and calories.

Here are the two kinds of quiche I now serve regularly. I always make three at a time for my family of four because I know if they are in my refrigerator, it will be the first thing my family will eat when they need a meal or a snack. Three quiche will last only about 24 hours in my house….

Ham and Cheese Quiche

1 roll of Pillsbury unroll-and-fill pie crust

4-5 oz. of ham or smoked turkey – chopped. I either use ham ends or I buy deli ham or deli smoked turkey

½ of a medium green pepper and ½ of a medium red pepper – chopped

1 medium onion – chopped

½ tsp. dried basil

Sprinkle of pepper and salt

4 eggs

1 ½ cup of milk - skim or whole, or 1 (14 oz) can of evaporated, skim milk 

1 ½ cups of shredded, white cheddar cheese – I buy it already shredded in bags

Broccoli and Cheese Quiche

1 roll of Pillsbury unroll-and-fill pie crust

1 ½ - 2 cups of cooked, chopped broccoli. I prefer fresh, steamed broccoli and we eat a lot of fresh, steamed broccoli in my house so I just use my leftovers. If you use frozen broccoli, be sure you drain it well after cooking and you try to squeeze
out the water from the broccoli since frozen broccoli will retain the water and make your quiche watery. I steam my broccoli in the microwave with just a little water in the dish for 3-4 minutes and then drain well before I put it in the quiche. Try to not overcook the broccoli, the quiche taste better if the broccoli isn’t too soft.

4 eggs

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 ½ cup of milk - skim or whole, or 1 (14 oz) can of evaporated, skim milk

1 ½ cups of shredded, orange cheddar cheese – I buy it already shredded in bags.

I like to roll out the piece of dough to make it a little thinner and also so it fits into a 9 ½ inch pie plate. Put the vegetables* and/or ham in the pie crust, then the cheese and the sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you are adding the basil, then sprinkle the basil on now. Beat together the eggs and milk and then add the egg mixture over the whole top.

*To prepare the peppers and onions: Chop peppers and onions. Put in a skillet and sauté peppers and onions on high until they are a little, but evenly browned AND there is a little burnt on the bottom of pan. Stir frequently. This flavors the pan. Then turn down to medium - medium low and let them brown but not burn. Continue to cook and stir frequently for a total of a half hour of cooking, or until they reach your desired tenderness. If they start sticking to the pan and
burning, you can add a little olive oil, or just turn down the heat even more and let the peppers and onions cool a little – this will bring out the water in them and stop them from sticking  – and then turn the heat back on and continue to cook. You can do this at any time of the day and refrigerate the peppers and onions until you are ready to use.

Bake quiche at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes. To test if the quiche is done, put a butter knife in the center of the quiche and if it comes out clean, the quiche is cooked.