As winter folds into spring, the smell of freshly baked quiche wafts through my kitchen. Quiche is something my keiki have come to associate with family time. It’s a recipe that has carried me in my motherhood journey as I realized early on that with quiche and a side salad, I could get breakfast, lunch, or dinner on the table relatively fast.
Simple, fresh ingredients, such as the eggs we had on hand, thanks to years of raising chickens, and whichever veggies we had in the fridge or pantry. Mushrooms or spinach, broccoli or asparagus. Cream or milk, some salt, and pepper. No cheese in the house? No problem, I could add more eggs. Years of nursing babies and baby-wearing while chasing toddlers helped me to fine-tune my cooking motto as a young mom: “Simple-fresh-fast,” and depending on my capacity, I would switch the order as needed. On days when I was more sleep-deprived due to a teething child, I would opt for a crustless quiche or use a frozen, pre-made pie crust, which is a great substitute when time and motivation are lacking. All three of my keiki loved learning to crack the eggs in this recipe. I encourage you to let your kids help out as much as they can, depending on their age and ability. I have noticed that each of my kids enjoys the meal even more when they’ve felt a sense of ownership in what we’ve made together.
Ingredients
1 9-inch deep dish pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh asparagus, cleaned and rough ends trimmed
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
6-7 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled, or 1/2 cup chopped ham (optional)
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
2 TBSP melted butter, cooled
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (I like to do 1/4 tsp salt and a sprinkle of pepper)
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Swiss or Cheddar)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Bake your empty pie crust for 10 minutes using dry rice in parchment paper to weigh it down or pie weights, then remove the pie from the oven and set the pie weights aside.
3. While the pie crust is blind baking, sauté chopped asparagus and onion in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, then set aside.
4. Beat eggs, cream or half-and-half, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and melted butter in a large bowl until well mixed. Set aside.
5. Layer your quiche now: into the pie crust, first scatter in your cooked asparagus and onion. Then place the crumbled bacon or chopped ham on top of that in a nice, even layer. Sprinkle your cheese on next and then pour your egg mixture over everything. No need to stir anything together.
6. Bake quiche on the center rack of the oven until the egg mixture is set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Quiche is done when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees or higher. Let cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
