You’ve heard me rant about processed food. But I have to tell you that there are some processed foods that are worth using. Some are convenient and use the same ingredients you would use at home. Others are complicated to do at home unless you have lots of time.
One of those processed foods I like is frozen pie crusts. I like these better than the rolled-up refrigerated versions which use hydrogenated oils. They come in their own pan (which I re-use for lots of small oven jobs) and taste pretty close to homemade. I’m just not that good at making pie crust from scratch.
So, what can you do with that crust? Well, the possibilities are endless. But one of my favorites is Quiche Lorraine. This open pie is made with bacon, onion, and cheese. Real men do eat quiche. It can be as fancy or as hearty as you like. In fact, quiche is one of the most versatile dishes you can make. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It goes great with a salad, by itself, or even with a nice bunch of veggies.
Quiche was, like most really good French food, a peasant dish. In fact, all around the world, most of the really famous dishes were originally peasant food. The quiche was a way of taking some eggs and milk (a custard) baked in a pastry crust to use up leftover meats and vegetables. In other words, a leftovers dish. It’s believed the word quiche comes from the German word for cake. The original Quiche Lorraine comes from the Lorraine region of France, along the German border. It was made without cheese, which was added after the dish began to be popular. Since then there have been many versions. Quiche Florentine is made with spinach. You can make any sort of quiche you like. Quiche Lorraine, the world’s most famous quiche, is usually made with Swiss cheese. However, you can use any good cheese like Gruyere, low-moisture Mozzarella, or Fontina. Cheddar and Colby are not recommended as they become greasy when melted.
Quiche Lorraine
This is not a low-calorie or low-fat dish. But it’s good. You can probably find ways to make this healthier by using low-fat milk and cheese, egg substitute, and turkey bacon.
Ingredients:
- 1 9- or 10-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 eggs, beaten (4 if not using large size eggs)
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- couple grinds of black pepper
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF
- Line pie crust with aluminum foil, no need to thaw. If you have pie weights use them, marbles or some other weight will do. Bake in a hot oven for 4 to 5 minutes and remove. Take away foil and weights.
- Turn oven heat down to 325º. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon to a crispy brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. When cooled, crumble and set aside.
- Cook onion in bacon drippings in skillet until tender. Add in garlic and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant. Remove the mixture to drain on paper towels and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, and salt. Stir in bacon and onion-garlic mixture. Add in oregano, parsley, and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, combine cheese and flour. Mix cheese into the custard and combine well. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover the edge of the crust with foil to prevent burning. Allow quiche to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
This makes 6 servings. You can use this basic recipe to make your own style quiche by adding other meats and/or cooked vegetables like asparagus, spinach, or broccoli.
Be a real man in The Bachelor’s Kitchen and eat quiche!
