The Weekly Kitchen: Real Women do eat Quiche
By ANGELA McRAE, Special to The Weekly
Back in the early 1980s, a book became famous largely because of its provocative title, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. It was a bit of satire that probably would be unpublishable today, but I remember thinking several times since its publication that any man who doesn’t care for quiche is welcome to send his slice my way.
I recently experimented with a mini quiche recipe that turned out so well, I plan to use it again and again. A small serving of quiche is a versatile food that can be served at brunches, teas, receptions, and showers.
Earlier this month, my sister and I hosted a baby shower for my niece Cari. I had offered to make mini quiches, and to be honest, I spotted some frozen ones at the grocery store and was tempted to buy a couple of boxes and call it done. Still, I was eager to try a new way of baking the pastry cups using a technique I’d read about online, and I also wanted to make two different flavors, so I opted for homemade. When I got compliments on the quiches at the shower and mentioned that I’d almost purchased the premade ones at the grocery store, a couple of the ladies shook their heads and insisted I’d made the right choice.
These bite-size quiches couldn’t have been simpler to make, and my taste-tester husband (a real man, I might add) liked them too!
Mini Quiches
2 deep-dish pie shells, thawed
5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated cheese plus extra for garnish
1 cup add-ins of your choice (meat, chopped vegetables, etc.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pie shell and flatten with a rolling pin until it’s at least a 12-inch circle. Using a 2-1/2-inch-round cookie cutter, cut 24 circles from each pie shell. (I used a scalloped cutter to create flowerlike edges around the circles.) When the dough is thin enough and the scraps are rerolled, it works perfectly.
Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, insert a pastry round into each well, and press the dough up the sides of each one.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, and seasonings and combine well. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and the add-ins. Spoon approximately one tablespoon of egg mixture into each cup, stopping just shy of the top of the dough, and garnish with a bit of extra cheese. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Yields 48 mini quiches.
You may serve these immediately or let them cool, place them in a plastic container, and refrigerate them overnight. Before serving, warm quiches in a preheated 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes and serve hot.
Note: I halved the egg mixture and used 1/4 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup cooked and drained spinach in one half, and 1/4 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup chopped bacon in the other. Feel free to experiment!
