Foolproof Quiche
Hosting a brunch and unsure what to make for all your guests? Enter : quiche. Quiche is my go-to whenever we host a brunch. It is easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time, and is an automatic crowd pleaser. I usually make one vegetarian option and one meat option.
What I love about quiche is that you can pretty much toss anything into it, and it will still come out great. There are so many variations that work, but my favorites are below.
The golden ratio for a mouthwatering quiche is : 5 eggs, 3/4 cup milk (whole -- you don't want a watery quiche), 1 cup (give or take 1/4 cup) filling, 1 - 1/2 cup cheese (depending how cheesy you like it).
In terms of crust, if you want to keep it easy. buy a pre baked crust. However, this recipe is made using a homemade crust. I think you can really tell the difference. But either option will be delicious! If you go the pre made route, skip to the step where you prepare the filling (step 9), fill, and bake.
This crust is the same butter crust as my gallete recipe. It is an incredible, flaky, versatile crust. You can make the crust ahead and store it in the fridge tightly wrapped for up to 3 days before baking. You can also freeze this crust and just defrost it the day you plan to bake.
You’ll want to blind bake the crust so it doesn’t get soggy. This seems like a daunting task, but it simply just requires more baking time and some pie weights.
{Brussel Sprout and Green Onion Quiche}
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter (cubed)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs ice cold water
For the quiche:
5 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 - 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 cup thinly sliced brussel sprouts
1/4 cup diced green onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the crust: combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Dice the butter and add to the flour mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix until the butter is very well dispersed and forms little pearls in the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Add the ice cold water, tablespoon at a time, until you are able to form the dough into a cohesive disc. This should take a maximum over 4 tablespoons of water. The dough will set more in the fridge, and you don’t want it too watery.
Tightly wrap the dough, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. **you can store the dough for up to 3 days before baking it in the fridge. You can also freeze the dough and simply defrost on baking day.
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a well floured surface. If your dough sticks, add more flour to your surface or rolling pin.
Place the dough into a greased, 9 inch pie pan. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. A buttery dough tends to slide down, so really press into the sides. Trim the overhang and reserve for cracks that may occur. ** I like to leave a little extra overhang because butter crusts tend to shrink during the blind baking process.
Freeze the dough for 30 minutes in the pie pan to set.
Blind bake the crust by lining the crust in parchment paper and filling with pie weights. Being sure to place the weights along the edges and up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the parchment paper and pie weights, and pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork. This prevents air pockets. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.
While the crust is blind baking, prepare the filling. **if you are using a pre made crust, skip to this step.
Heat olive oil over medium high heat and cook the brussel sprouts until they are tender. About 7-10 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle half the cheese at the bottom of the crust. Add the brussel sprouts and green onion. Top with the egg and milk mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the eggs are set. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Slice and serve!
