As a kid, I HATED quiche. I have no idea why. Maybe the quiche I tried back then was improperly prepared or contained ingredients that I didn’t like. Whatever the reason, the word “quiche” had a negative connotation in my mind even into my adulthood.
Until lately, that is.
My husband and I have 6 sussex hens. Which means, typically, we are blessed with 6 beautful, fresh eggs on a daily basis. This makes for tasty, healthful eats, but it also overwhelms us with eggs. So I began researching egg recipes.
Among some recipe cards that I received from friends and family for our wedding (which I happened to stumble upon after we moved to our new home), I found a recipe for Bacon Quiche. I immediately thought, Yuck! But I glanced over the ingredients anyway. Pie crust. Bacon. Eggs. Cheese. Hey, this didn’t sound so bad!
Shortly after discovering this recipe, I experimentally made it. I did edit the recipe quite a bit, based on the understanding I have from working with food on a professional basis. And, instead of making a big pie, I decided to make it more convenient for us adults and more fun for our son by making them mini. Plus, using my Wonder Mill Junior, I was able to ground extra tasty, fresh spelt flour for the crust.
The result surprised both me and my husband. The mini bacon quiches were delicious! Plus, since I used all-natural, organic, one-ingredient foods (including whole spelt flour in lieu of all-purpose flour for the crust, although you can use all-purpose flour if you’d rather; and bacon purchased directly from a farmer), it was actually pretty healthful!
The result was a moist and flavorful dish that my husband and son (and I!) thoroughly enjoyed. Plus, the compact, individualized size of eat mini quiche makes it perfect for potlucks or to prepare as edible gifts.
Mini Bacon Quiches
Ingredients
For Crust
1/2 c. cold butter, cubed
1-1/2 to 2 c. freshly ground spelt flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. cold water
For Filling
1 lb. bacon, diced
1/2 lg. yellow onion, finely diced
4 lg. or 5 med. eggs
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1-1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. cheese, shredded
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a muffin tin by heavily greasing it with nonstick cooking spray (or any oil of your choice).
2. Mix butter, flour, and salt together in a bowl with an electric mixer, a pastry blender, or a fork until very crumbly. Gradually add the water. If necessary, add more flour to produce a smooth, elastic dough.
3. Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter (or any other 4-inch round object–could even be a piece of paper that you cut around with a knife), cut the dough. Press the dough rounds into the cups of the muffin tin. Press to the bottom and around the sides. Poke the bottom with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
4. Pre-bake the mini crusts in the preheated oven for 5 minutes; remove and set aside.
5. In a skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until about halfway cooked. Add the chopped onion. Continue to saute until bacon is cooked and onion is translucent. Remove from heat, drain off all but about 1 teaspoon of fat, and set aside to cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, scramble the eggs. Beat in the salt, pepper, parsley, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Gradually add the milk, beating until incorporated.
7. Divide the bacon-onion mixture and the shredded cheese (I used cheddar cheese for the pictures quiches, but you can use any cheese you like–swiss, provolone, colby…) evenly into the mini pie crusts. Using a ladle, pour the egg mixture into each cup, filling each to the brim (if there is any egg mixture left over, save it for breakfast the next day).
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then, lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the mini quiches are no longer jiggly in the center.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. The tops may look poofy at first, but they’ll drop as they cool. If necessary, cut around the outside edges of each mini quiche to losen it; flip upside down onto the counter or onto a cooling rack to release. Garnish with a pinch or two of shredded cheese and some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Yield: 12 mini quiches
