Yummy Quiche

A perk of having chickens is that there are ALWAYS plenty of eggs in the fridge. Because of this I am always on the lookout for good egg recipes. I have tested out a couple of quiche recipes and have one in particular that I highly recommend.

The recipe can be found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Basic-Quiche-by-Shelly/Detail.aspx and its is incredibly flexible. A couple things I have changed from the original recipe:

- It has to be cooked in a deep dish pie shell otherwise you will probably make a mess as you put it in the stove. Even though I use a deep dish pan I still put a flat pan under the dish to avoid spilling the egg mixture.

- Cook the pie shell for about 5-10 minutes until it is done before you fill it with contents (otherwise the bottom will be a little doughy). I cover the flat edges at the top with foil (during the pre cook) to keep them from getting too brown. Remove the foil before you add the contents to the pie shell.

- I use 1.5 cups of half and half (instead of 2 cups)- using the full amount results in a more custardy quiche

- I always add in extras based on what I have on hand. I have used left over ham, breakfast sausage, and bacon as meat and a wide variety of veggies. I really like adding jalapenos for the heat but add whatever you like. I also usually add in spinach because I buy the bags of it at the store for salads and it always seems to go bad before I get through it.

- When adding in extras use less than you think you need otherwise your quiche will be way too full. Last time I made one I use 1/2 lb sausage, 1/2 a red bell pepper, and about 4 jalapenos and had plenty

- I do not use the fancy cheese listed in the recipe, I just use what I have on hand. I have tried cheddar, Monterrey jack, mozzarella, and a combination of all three based on what I have and what sounds good. I also do not measure my cheeses I just grab about 1.5 handfuls and sprinkle it over the top

- I do not have white pepper so I use regular pepper

- I always need to cook it for about 10 minutes longer than the recipe calls for. This could be because my oven temp is off or because of the fillings I add, I am not sure. It gets to be too mushy if you do not cook it long enough. The middle should be somewhat firm to the touch and slightly browned

As you can see from above, the recipe is very versatile, just use what you have on hand. I have only been unsatisfied with the recipe twice- once was because I used some new (and as I discovered later, funky) dried tomatoes in the recipe, and the other was when I did not cook it long enough. Its a great dish to cook on a Sunday night have have throughout the rest of the week for breakfast/ lunch. Enjoy!


My last quiche- spicy sausage, 1/2 red bell pepper, and jalapenos

PS- if you have egg recipes you would like to share let me know!