Melinda Lees Master Quiche Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the pan: Brush pan with the soft butter and sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly on top. Or for a Quick Crust, pulse bread into crumbs in a food processor. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add bread crumbs and stir until evenly toasted, about 5 minutes. Evenly spread crumbs in a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.
• Whisk the half-and-half, eggs and yolks in large glass measuring cup. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, cayenne or paprika to taste. Spread half the desired filling evenly in the pan, top with about half the cheese; repeat with remaining filling and cheese. Pour the custard over the fillings. Top with more herbs or cheese as desired.
• Bake until the quiche is just set in the center, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the chive pie crust: Mix the flour, chives and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and vegetable shortening and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. Using a fork, stir in the vinegar, beaten egg and 5 tablespoons cold water. Stir the mixture until just combined. Shape the dough into 2 discs. (You'll only be using 1 disc for this recipe. You can wrap the additional dough in plastic wrap for storage; it will keep up to a week in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.)
• Have ready 2 sheets of parchment paper that are each at least 12 inches square. Place the disc of dough between them. (If the dough is sticky for any reason, don't worry. Just sprinkle some flour on the parchment to get started. You shouldn't have to add much for it to stop sticking.) Starting at the center, roll the pin out to the edge. Turn the dough and parchment as necessary and continue rolling, always from the center to the outer edge. After a couple of rolls, lift the parchment paper away from the dough to loosen and replace the parchment. Flip the whole thing and loosen the other paper sheet. Continue rolling until the dough is large enough for your pie pan.
• For the filling: Slice the leeks thinly, and then soak them in cold water for about 10 minutes to remove any grit or dirt. Drain well.
• Put the mushrooms on a large baking sheet. Roast until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, saute the leeks in the butter until golden brown and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• For the quiche base, add the cream and eggs to a medium bowl and whisk them to combine. Stir in the leeks, mushrooms, grated Swiss and some salt and pepper. Mix in the pesto and prosciutto. The mixture should be very thick!
• Pour the mixture into the pie shell, then cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too brown on top. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Place the quiche on a cutting board and slice wedges with a serrated knife. Delicious for breakfast, and even better for lunch with a salad and a bunch of juicy grapes!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rinse the leeks in a bowl of water and strain. Set aside.
• In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When it is melted, add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme, and let cool to room temperature.
• Roll out each pie dough round onto a clean dry surface. Using a 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter cut 12 rounds from each dough. Gently press the rounds into each of the mini muffin tins to form mini crusts.
• In a large measuring cup, whisk the cream and eggs with the pumpkin pie spice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
• Fill each muffin cup with 1 teaspoon of the cooled leeks and top with 1 teaspoon of the cheese. Cover the filling with the egg and cream mixture. Place the muffin tins onto cookie sheets and put them into the oven. Bake until the egg mixture has set and the quiches are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place potatoes and rosemary in a microwaveable dish. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes, until almost cooked through.
• Cover the bottom of the premade pie shell with potatoes, ham, and cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and seasoning and pour into the pie shell.
• Place quiche into preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until eggs have set.

Steps:

• Cut away the root and dark green leaves from the leeks and cut in half lengthwise. Run under cold water to remove sand. If the leeks are very sandy soak them for 15 minutes or so, then run under cold water again. Drain on paper towels. If the leeks are very fat, cut the halves in half again lengthwise, then cut in thin slices.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil or oil and butter over medium heat in a lidded skillet or saucepan and add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring, until they begin to soften. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook gently until the leeks are very soft but not browned, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes. If they begin to stick or brown, add a little more salt and/or a spoonful of water or wine. Stir in the garlic if using and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.
• Beat together the egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet to allow for easy handling. Using a pastry brush lightly brush the bottom of the crust and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Add salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper and the milk to the eggs and whisk together. Spread the leeks in an even layer in the crust. Sprinkle the cheese in an even layer on top. Pour in the custard filling. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until set and just beginning to color on the top.
• Remove from the oven and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 2 cup measuring cup, place the eggs and seasonings. Add enough cream to fill the measuring cup to the 1-1/4 cup level ( you'll need about 1/2 cup of cream). Blend together the cream and eggs mixture using a fork or whisk- just to incorporate thoroughly. Sprinkle the filling of your choice over the bottom of one 8-inch or 9-inch baked pie shell. Pour in the custard mixture ( the liquid should come up to about 1/4 -inch from the rim of the pie crust shell). Bake the quiche at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the thin blade of a knife, inserted near the middle of the quiche (about an inch or so out) comes out clean. Cook's Note: The center should still be a little bit "jiggly" - the custard will complete cooking as it stands after baking. Suggested Fillings: 5-6 slices crisp, cooked bacon crumbled 3 ounces coarsely grated cheese Optional ( for cheese or any other filling) -sprinkle a little cheese over the top of the quiche and dot with butter before baking 1/4 cup, smoked salmon- chopped; add dill or parsley 1/2 cu to 3/4 cup, cooked broccoli or other vegetable of your choice, optional- add 1/4 cup grated cheese to vegetable 1/2 to 3/4 cup, diced sauteed ( or caramelized) onion 1/2 cup or as desired, leftover shredded meat or poultry diced, sautéed jalapeño or other chile (to taste) fresh snipped herbs of your choice