Bacon Cheddar Quiche

  

Many years ago, I would make quiche once in a while on weekends for a late breakfast or brunch. I don’t know why I wasn’t intimidated by it, since I’m not sure I really knew much about cooking back then. I did trust in recipes, however, and the one I used for quiche, which is in both editions of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I have, is very good indeed.

Time, pastry fear, and the concept of the far simpler frittata (like this one and this one from really old posts) all caused me to abandon quiche for years. I set out to rediscover it recently, and I love it all over again! It does take some time to make, but, after all, I do like to cook, and I find it to be time well spent.

 

This quiche starts with a blind baked crust. I had a store-bought one on hand, so I used it up. I don’t find the ready-made crusts as satisfying as even my poorest homemade attempts, but they do win in one category: convenience. If it will make the difference between having pie and not having pie, I will go with the rolled-up crust in the box.

The crust, however, is just a vehicle for this ultra-rich filling loaded with bacon and cheddar cheese. I followed a quiche recipe some years ago that called for heavy cream in the custard, and the texture and flavor were a revelation. I decided to go that route, which made a wonderfully creamy, luxurious quiche. You definitely could lighten it up by using half and half or milk in place of the cream, but if you’re going for a winter hibernation experience, go for the cream!

 

This, of course, is a basic recipe that can be varied endlessly. Different cheeses are equally at home. Chicken, ham, cooked ground beef, no meat of any kind– all of these could sub for the bacon. More veggies, herbs, spices. Lighter, heavier. Make it your own!

However you choose to make your quiche, do make it. Make it for breakfast. Make it for brunch. Make it for lunch or supper. And then have the leftovers for breakfast!

Bacon Cheddar Quiche

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

You can use your favorite pie crust recipe here. I think this one and this one will work fine. I actually used a store-bought crust, which will do.

3 strips bacon

1 pastry for a single-crust pie

4 eggs

¾ cup milk

¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain, cool, and chop. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll out the pastry dough into about a 12-inch circle. Drape into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges decoratively if desired.

2. Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the foil, spray side down, on the pastry. Place pie weights inside the foil. Bake the crust at 450 F for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights. Return to the oven and bake 4-5 minutes more, or until the crust is beginning to brown and appears dry. When the crust is finished blind baking, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.

3. While the crust is baking, begin the filling. Beat the eggs in a medium-size bowl. Beat in the milk and cream. Stir in the green onions, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cooked bacon.

4. In a small bowl, toss the cheese together with the flour until the cheese is well coated. Stir into the egg mixture.

5. Place the pie plate with the baked crust onto a sheet pan. Pour the egg mixture into the hot crust. Place the quiche on the sheet pan into the oven and bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is just set. A knife inserted in the center will come out without any liquid egg on it.

6. Remove from the oven and cool at least 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 main-dish servings. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave to serve (the crust will not remain crisp, but all will still be pretty tasty.)

Other recipes like this one: Corn and Green Onion Tart with Bacon, Chard Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Ricotta Tart with Peppers and Onions, Savory Carrot and Ricotta Pie

One year ago: Grandmama’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Rye Scones with Apricot

I love scones. I love baking with whole grains. I love rye flour. All of these things came together in this recipe. All of these things and more!

I got some rye flour that was more finely milled than the stone ground rye I often use, and found that it makes a delightfully soft loaf of bread, great for sandwiches or alongside a bowl of steaming soup. I decided to use it in some other baked goods, and was thinking muffins or scones. I had this Barley Four Scones recipe to start from and so I did.

I also went back to the original source of that recipe, Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce, for more ideas. In the book, the author states that rye flour goes well with fruits, especially apricots. That seemed like a good place to go for scones, so I added chopped dried apricots. On a whim, I replaced the caraway I usually put in with rye with anise seeds.

This whim had a big payoff! Well, that and following the advice of an expert. The anise and apricot are a brilliant match, and they only get better with the rye. The fruity flavor of the apricot with the gently nutty rye would be good enough, I think, but the surprisingly haunting lift and aroma from the anise is an especially warm and pleasing addition.

Whether I make more bread loaves (like this one or this one), or soda bread, or try out some cheddar-rye muffins I have in mind with the rest of the rye flour I purchased, I hope I’m smart enough to save some to make these delicious scones again. I surprised myself with how good they are. I hope something you make for yourself, especially on a whim, can make you this happy, too!

Rye Scones with Dried Apricot and Anise

You could make these scones a little bit thicker, or shape them differently cutting them into squares or using a cutter to make circles, or whatever you like. Keep in mind that a different size or thickness may require a change in baking time.

I used a food processor to make this dough, but you can certainly cut in the butter by hand and stir in the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

1 cup rye flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon whole anise seed

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold

½ cup buttermilk

1 large egg

½ cup chopped dried apricots

Coarse sugar for coating, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In the bowl of food processor, combine the rye flour, all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and anise seed. Pulse a few times to combine.

3. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add to the flour mixture. Pulse the food processor several times to mix in the butter until it is in pieces about the size of small peas, and well-coated with the flour mixture.

4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until well-combined. Pour into the flour mixture. Pulse several times until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Add the apricots and pulse just until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.

5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pull and gently squeeze and knead the dough together to get a relatively smooth dough ball. Gently press the dough into a disk about ½ inch thick. Cut the disk into 8 equal triangles. Sprinkle each with coarse sugar if using.

6. Place the cut dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown on the bottom, and appear dry on the outside. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 8 scones.

Other recipes like this one: Barley Flour Scones, Cherry Almond Scones, Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones, Caraway Rye Soda Bread

One year ago: 23 Pies for National Pie Day 

Rye Berries with Roasted Cabbage

 

This recipe was driven by two factors: my desire, or rather need, to use up what’s in the overstuffed pantry closet, and my tendency to roast vegetables all winter long. There was a recipe in a magazine somewhere in which roasted cabbage was doused in a caraway-infused butter, and that just sounded so good. I had a big bag of rye berries, and they sounded like they’d make good companions to that cabbage.

Rye berries are just like wheat berries, which I’ve used in several recipes featured on these pages. If you ground them finely enough, you would have whole grain rye flour. If you cook them by simmering for a long time in water, you get chewy, starchy nuggets that are a great base for salads or pilafs, and a great addition to soups and stews. They can also be worked into breads and other baked goods. (They can be sprouted, too, but I haven’t tried that yet.) I tend to treat all of my favorite grains roughly the same in my cooking: wheat and rye, barley, farro, quinoa, rice. I love them all, but the rye berries seemed especially suited for use with buttery, toasty cabbage.

 

The result of this recipe fiddling was humble and rustic, but also pretty terrific. I sautéed cooked rye berries in some of the caraway butter with onions and garlic.  A splash of cider vinegar also went in to brighten the flavors. Once the cabbage was roasted to the point of browning on the edges, I stirred it into the warm rye berries, then covered it all in more caraway butter.

These are mild and subtle flavors that really work well together. Nothing screams, and nothing is drowned. The textures are nice as well, with the chewiness of the rye berries standing up with the tender-crisp cabbage. The creaminess of the butter covering everything adds some silky decadence to all that simplicity.

Probably my favorite part of this dish, however, was the toasty flavor from the charred bits of cabbage, the result of that extra roasting step. That nutty taste comes through in every bite. I loved it! And from now on, the making of this rustic, comforting, easy-to-make dish will be driven by me wanting to eat it again more than any other factor, no matter what’s in the pantry!

Rye Berries with Roasted Cabbage and Caraway Butter

I served this as a main dish, but you could serve is as a side dish with roasted meats or sausage or ham.

½ medium-size head green cabbage, coarsely chopped, about 5-6 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, divided

 ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon caraway seed

½ cup diced onion

2 medium-size cloves garlic, finely minced

3 cups cooked rye berries

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, canola oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan. Roast at 400 F until the cabbage is tender, with a bit of bite to it, and gently charred on the edges. This should take about 30 minutes, but remove from the oven if it seems to be getting too dark.

2. While the cabbage is roasting, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the caraway seeds and cook, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and most of the caraway seeds into a bowl. (It’s okay if some of the seeds are still in the pan.) Keep the caraway butter warm until needed.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook and stir 8-10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the rye berries and the remaining salt and pepper and cook to heat them through. Stir in the cider vinegar. Keep warm until the cabbage is done.

4. When the cabbage roasting is completed, stir the cabbage into the rye berry mixture in the skillet. Pour the reserved caraway butter over the mixture and stir to coat well. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or pepper if desired.

Makes about 4 main-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Sauteed Cabbage with Caraway and Cider Vinegar; Wilted Savoy Cabbage with Warm Walnut-Butter Vinaigrette; Spaetzle with Cabbage, Bacon and Onions

One year ago: Beet and Carrot Burgers