DIY Quiche

A quiche is one of those dishes that doesn't reeeeally require a recipe. Once you've made one several times, you kind of get the hang of what's required. I have a sort of base recipe in my mind that I alter each time, depending on what's in the fridge, who I'm serving and what we're craving. I call it DIY Quiche because you can do it yourself! Who cares if you forgot to buy onions, you only have little bits of random cheeses. This is a great way to use leftover grilled vegetables from last night's dinner, that last piece of sausage you need to finish. 

Another reason to add a DIY Quiche to your rotation - it's a quick and healthy source of protein, vegetables and fats. As a gal with perpetually low blood sugar, having a ready to go meal or snack filled with just what I need can be a lifesaver. My mom makes a vegetable-filled frittata (crustless quiche) nearly every week, and portions out a slice each day. 

For Easter this year, we joined a big group of Italian friends, most of whom are from Naples. They know their food. So, as the most complicated eater of the bunch, I volunteered to bring quiches so that I could offer something gluten free and not so red meaty. Another friend at the lunch is dairy free, so I prepped one of the DIY Quiches to be free of cheese and milk. I thought it would be such a challenge, but it actually turned out well! As I said, all you need are the basics, and from there you can get creative. Try it for yourself - DIY quiche! 

Recipe:

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Tools:

·      Medium sautee pan or pot

·      Sharp knife or mandolin

·      Cutting board

·      Large rimmed cooking sheet

Ingredients:

·      Pre-made 9” gluten free or regular quiche or pie crust prepared according to package directions

·      4 eggs

·      1/4 cup of milk or heavy cream

• OR ¼ cup of chicken or vegetable stock if dairy free

·      ¼ cup whole milk ricotta

·      splash of olive oil

·      ½ small onion (white, red or even shallots), thinly sliced

·      One cup of sliced or chopped vegetable

• Thinly sliced zucchini, chopped asparagus, seeded cherry tomatoes, or chopped broccoli are favorites

·      ½ cup shredded or crumbled cheese of your choice

• Goat cheese is great with asparagus; cheddar is yummy with broccoli; mozzarella with zucchini etc…

·      1 tsp ground chili powder

·      1 tsp ground cayenne

·      Optional : ½ cup of finely chopped sausage, turkey sausage, roasted chicken, bacon, or whatever you like! Just make sure it’s cooked before baking the quiche, don’t put it in raw

·      salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1)    Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare the quiche or piecrust according to package instructions. Generally this means defrosting a frozen crust, pricking it with a fork to prevent puffing, and a pre-bake in the oven before filling.

2)    Prepare the vegetables while the crust prebakes. Thinly slice the onions and vegetables with a knife or mandolin.

3)    Finely chop and fully cook any meat you plan to use. For example, I chop up a turkey sausage into tiny pieces, and then brown in a pan with a splash of olive oil over med-high heat.

4)    Lower heat to medium and in the same pan with the meat, if used, add the thinly sliced shallots or onion. Cook until translucent.

5)    Add vegetables to the same pan, and cook until soft. Add more olive oil if needed. When vegetables are soft and meat is cooked, set aside.

6)    In a mixing bowl, crack 4 eggs, add milk or cream (or stock if dairy free*) and whisk together. Add ricotta, salt, pepper, chili and cayenne.

7)    I suggest putting the quiche/pie pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet to collect any spills in or out of the oven. Place onion-vegetable-meat mixture into the bottom of the prepared quiche crust. Try to avoid pouring the cooking oil in to the crust along with it.

8)    Sprinkle shredded cheese or crumbled cheese evenly on top of the vegetables and meat.

9)    Carefully and evenly pour the egg mixture on top. If you’re me, you might add another sprinkle of cheese on top here.

10) Carefully transfer the baking sheet with quiche into the 350° F oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the very center of the quiche is cooked and no longer jiggly.

11) Let sit 5 minutes before cutting and enjoying.

I like to serve my DIY Quiche with toasted, crusty gluten free bread, a green salad, tortilla chips or whatever else I have around! Most of the flavor combinations are also delicious with a little hot sauce on top. Currently loving habanero after a trip to Mexico.

Flavor combination cheat sheet:

-       Asparagus, chopped and de-seeded cherry tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese

-       Thinly sliced zucchini, turkey sausage and shredded mozzarella

-       Spinach, mushroom and shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese (+bacon for carnivores)

-       Roasted eggplant with basil and parmesan and mozzarella cheese

-       Sauteed bell peppers, zucchini, basil and cheddar cheese

-       Broccoli and cheddar

-       *Dairy free: chicken sausage with zucchini (make sure to use stock and not milk). I also use a pinch of baking powder and a big heaping tablespoon of gluten free flour to the egg mixture in place of the milk and cheese, I find it really helps the consistency.

Let me know what DIY Quiche combinations you love in the comments!