Friday, March 9, 2012

Real men eat it


Here's one of our favorite family recipes, quiche. And yes, Don's a Real Man and likes quiche just fine, thanks. (Remember the book Real Men Don't Eat Quiche?)

So I hauled out my battered home recipe cookbook and got to work.


Quiche is rather like soup -- you can add just about anything to it. Since I made two different quiches, I started by rolling out two pie doughs. Leave them uncooked but be sure to prick them with a fork.


My faithful helper parked herself under the table in case something fell.


The ingredients that went in both quiches: three eggs each...


A bit of pepper and nutmeg...


About two cups of Swiss cheese each...


(Reserve some cheese for sprinkling over the top of the quiche before baking...)


Three-quarters of a cup each of scalded milk...


A pint each of bacon bits (I already had some canned up in the pantry)...


Then I started differentiating between the two dishes. I like tons of broccoli in my quiche, and the kids like only a bit of broccoli. So I chopped a lot for one quiche and a little for the other.


I also love onions but they make Older Daughter gag, so I chopped up an entire onion for one quiche and put none in the other quiche.


The girls love shrimp in their quiche, so I chopped some up for one quiche. I love shrimp but not in quiche, so I left it out of the other quiche.


These are the ingredients for both quiches.


Now add the scalded milk...


...and mix it all up.


Packed in the pie dishes...


...and sprinkled on top with the leftover Swiss cheese.


I bake at 450F for ten minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes or so. I meant to take a photo of the finished quiches but forgot... though I could just as easily use the excuse that the quiches disappeared too fast to snap a photo. These are seriously good pies on a winter's night.

Quiche is very forgiving and can be modified any number of ways. The consistent ingredient seems to be eggs. Beyond that, let your taste and your imagination soar. Yum!

12 comments:

  1. How could liking egg, cheese and meat pie mean you are not a real man? I mean it isn't quite as manly as black coffee and bacon but it is solidly awesome all the same.

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  2. You always have the best recipes. If I cooked like you do (being an only human at this time) I would be 300 pounds in no time.

    I copy out and save your recipes, however, because one day I will have other family members living here with me (I look forward to that) and love the idea I will be cooking for others. I look forward to feeding my Da quiche... youbetcha!

    I enjoy your blog, thank you for it!

    Northwoods Jean

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  3. Next time make a frittata - a quiche without the crust. I'm gluten-free so I needed to make that change and I now prefer my quiches without the crust. I oftentimes slice potatoes thin, parboil them and use them as the bottom layer to create a crust. Skipping the prep for a crust is a wonderful time saving step.

    Rita in VA

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    1. We do that, too, Rita. No one here is actually Coeliac, but we've all but eliminated grains from our diet for health reasons, and find a shredded potato crust a nice alternative to a standard pie crust.

      We love quiche/frittata for using up/extending leftovers. My husband has yet to complain that it is an affront to his manhood.

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  4. Sounds great to me! May I ask, do you know why the milk would need to be scalded? Just curious as I've never seen this step in a quiche recipe.

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    Replies
    1. No idea! That step was in my original recipe and I've always just slavishly followed it without thinking it through.

      - Patrice

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  5. "Bad milk, BAD!" (shakes finger at milk) <=== scalded milk ;-)

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  6. I'm mostly gluten free. I occasionally slip and have something yummy and delicious like chicken fried steak with white gravy and breaded fried squash, then spend the evening in the bathroom repenting of my sins, and the next few days with aches, pains, and skin rashes to remind me why I must remain gluten free for life.

    My quiches, which I dearly love, now have a "crust" (or at least a bottom layer) of garlic cheese grits, then topped with my quiche mixture which consists of eggs, spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, chopped green onions, chopped ham, hot sausage, and/or bacon, and cheddar cheese. Mmmmm mmmmmm mmmmmm.

    Baking mini quiches in cupcake pans sprayed with PAM on the weekends are great for grab, nuke, and eat on the go breakfasts during the work week.

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  7. I'm curious about the scalded milk, too - my quiche recipes call for less milk, and not scalded?

    Xa Lynn

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  8. I'm with Ryan. Put enough bacon, cheese, onions in something...I don't care WHAT you call it. Just don't call me late for dinner. Now, where'd I put the salsa...


    Jeff - Tucson

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  9. I remember buying that book when it came out. Thought it was funny.
    Remember though, a real man eats whatever he damn well pleases!

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  10. I just made quiche a few nights ago and told my family it was bacon pie ;) I like the looks of your filling not being overpowered by liquid. Will have to try your recipe.

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