Breakfast
Basic Cheese Quiche
Bring a little bit of sunshine to your table with this basic cheese quiche.
The light, flaky crust provides the perfect base for the creamy, cheesy filling, which is enhanced with a hint of herbs and spices. To make it even more delightful, consider adding a handful of fresh spinach or diced bell peppers for a pop of color and nutrition. Serve it warm, straight from the oven, or let it cool to room temperature for a delightful brunch treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese (2 to 4 oz.)
- 1 Basic Egg & Lemon Juice piecrust (9-inch), baked
- 1/2 to 1 cup filling (see tips below)
- 6 Large Dakota Layers Eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves OR other herb; tsp. salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spread cheese evenly in bottom of piecrust. Top with filling in an even layer.
- Beat eggs, milk, salt and thyme in medium bowl until blended. Carefully pour over filling in piecrust.
- Bake in center of 375°F oven until center is almost set but jiggles slightly when dish is gently shaken and knife inserted near center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.
TIPS:
- Make fillings from your favorite foods or from leftovers. Use a combination of cheese, meat, seafood or poultry and vegetables.
Filling ingredients should be cooked, not raw. Pieces should be cut fairly small and drained well.
Some classic filling combinations are Cheddar cheese and ham or sautéed onion, bacon and Swiss Gruyere cheese.
- If using frozen piecrust choose the deep-dish size. Always bake your pie shell first to avoid a soggy crust.
For a non-traditional “crust”, mix cooked rice, orzo, spinach or hash browns with a beaten egg and press it into a greased quiche dish or pie plate.
- Individual egg and cheese quiche can be baked in pastry tart shells, muffin tins or hollowed out vegetables.
- How to tell if the egg and cheese quiche is done. Baked custards should be removed from the oven before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when cup or dish is gently shaken. Custard will continue to “cook” after it’s removed and center will firm up quickly. Overbaked custard may curdle. The knife test: Test for doneness with a thin-bladed knife. Insert knife about 1 inch from the center of a one-dish custard; midway between center and edge of cups. If knife is clean when pulled out, the custard is done. If any custard clings to the blade, bake a few minutes longer and test again. Cheese fillings: Quiche fillings containing cheese may continue to test “wet” even after they are done. Tap or gently shake the dish; remove quiche from oven when the center is almost set but still jiggles a bit.
- For a richer custard, substitute half-and-half for the milk.
- Need a party appetizer? Bake quiche in a square or rectangular pan; cut into small squares or triangles. Or bake in mini muffin cups.
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