Quiche is such an easy thing to make and so deliciously rewarding. After making four quiches for Easter brunch I thought, why don’t I make quiche more often? They wowed the crowd and took little effort on my part. Plus, they were super easy to transport.
I started with a basic quiche batter recipe that consists simply of eggs and cream. And a lot of both. But this batter results in a satiny, custard-like consistency instead of the dense eggy texture like so many unfortunate quiches. You want a quiche, not a frittata. These beauties will puff up like glorious soufflés, then settle into cloud-like perfection. Yes, even with all those eggs and cream these quiches still feel light! The four types I made were the following:
Roasted Tomato, Thyme and Goat Cheese Quiche
Asparagus, Leek & Gruyere Quiche
A Manly Bacon Cheddar Quiche
Mushroom Swiss Quiche
I start with the Roasted Tomato, Thyme and Goat Cheese Quiche as the tomatoes will take about 45 minutes to roast. Alternatively, you can use store-bought roasted peppers or sun-dried tomatoes, both of which are quite delicious in a quiche and especially paired with goat cheese. The rest of the ingredients are simple, requiring just a bit of sautéing and chopping here and there.
Mise en place (aka “putting in place” or simply getting organized): I recommend placing the ingredients for each quiche on a dinner plate, that way you’ll be ready to go for assembling.
Basic Quiche Batter Ingredients:
Makes 4 9-inch quiches
11 large eggs
4 cups heavy cream
A pinch or two of salt and a few good cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Four 9-inch store-bought frozen pie crusts (keep frozen until ready to assemble and bake!)
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt and pepper.
Roasted Tomato, Thyme and Goat Cheese Quiche
2 cups cherry tomatoes (or any small tomato)
3-4 big hunks of plain goat cheese
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cheese of your choice for the bottom of the pie crust (we used a bit of Cheddar)
Directions for the filling:
Place cherry tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean-up!). Spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375° F oven until nicely browned and well-roasted; about 45 minutes. You want them to lose most of their moisture and become flattened, so don’t take them out of the oven too soon. This will also help prevent your quiche from becoming too soggy.
Sprinkle the bottom of a pie crust with a bit of shredded cheese, enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer.
Add the tomatoes in an even layer and the leaves from the sprigs of thyme.
Add small chunks (about the size of a nickel) of goat cheese.
Using a measuring cup, fill with 1/4 of the quiche batter, or enough to just reach the bottom edge of the crust.
Asparagus, Leek & Gruyere Quiche
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced, then well washed
6-7 stalks of asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
A pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Gruyere or half a package of grated Swiss cheese
Directions for the filling:
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter then add the leeks. Sauté until lightly golden (do not allow to burn), then remove from heat.
Sprinkle the bottom of a pie crust with a bit of shredded cheese, enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer.
Add the leeks and asparagus, reserving a few of the tips to garnish the top.
Add the cheese.
Using a measuring cup, fill with 1/4 of the quiche batter, or enough to just reach the bottom edge of the crust.
Bacon Cheddar Quiche
I used bacon ends (thick chunks of bacon) then cut it into smaller bits. This gave the quiche a nice hearty component, but you could simply use rashers of bacon cut into bits. It’s entirely your preference.
1 cup cooked bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup sharp (or half a package) of Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions for the filling:
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle the bottom of a pie crust with a bit of the shredded cheese, enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer.
Toss bacon pieces, green onion and remaining Cheddar together, then add to the pie crust.
Using a measuring cup, fill with 1/4 of the quiche batter, or enough to just reach the bottom edge of the crust.
Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche
1 tablespoon butter
1 package sliced mushrooms, such as crimini
A splash of brandy or dry sherry (optional, but darn good)
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup shredded Gruyere or a half package of grated Swiss cheese
Directions for the filling:
Sauté mushrooms in butter over medium heat until soft; about 3 minutes. Add a splash of brandy or sherry and continue to cook until the alcohol has burned off, another 3 minutes or so. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sprinkle the bottom of a pie crust with a bit of the shredded cheese, enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer.
Add mushrooms and thyme leaves in an even layer to the pie crust.
Top with the remaining cheese.
Using a measuring cup, fill with 1/4 of the quiche batter, or enough to just reach the bottom edge of the crust.
Bake the quiches:
Bake quiches on the bottom racks of a preheated 350° F for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centers come out clean.
Let quiches stand 15 minutes before serving.
