Ridiculously Good Quiche

 

I just made a Broccoli-Bacon-Monterey-Jack Quiche, based loosely on the Quiche Lorraine recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated New Best Recipe cookbook, and it is so damn tasty I am having trouble ceasing to devour it.  Thus, I thought I’d post the recipe for others to enjoy, and for myself to find again, after I inevitably forget what I did.  Here y’go!

Ingredients:

• 1 9″ Pie Crust (I used a pre-made one from the grocery store – so, whatever you’ve got)
• 2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into little florets (about 1-1.5 cups, in 3/4″ pieces)
• 1 slice of good quality thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1/4″ bits (I used Skagit Valley Farms bacon from my local farmer’s market)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about a cup)

Preheat the oven to 375, and move a rack to the middle position. Fit the pie crust (it should be refrigerated already – if not, refrigerate it in the pan before sticking it in the oven) into a 9″ pie pan, line the inside of it with foil, fill the foil with pie weights (I use a mixture of pinto beans and pennies), and bake for 20 minutes.  

While that’s baking, heat a small frying pan over medium heat.  Add the bacon.  Sauté until the fat starts to render, then add the broccoli.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli starts to brown and smells cooked.  Remove to a plate.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the cheese, in a large bowl, and whisk together thoroughly.

After 20 minutes, remove the foil and weights from the crust.  Based on how cooked it looks, continue to bake 5-10 minutes more.  It should end up lightly golden.

Sprinkle the cheese into the bottom of the crust. Evenly distribute the broccoli and bacon over the cheese.  Set the pan on the oven rack, then pour the egg mixture into the crust – it should come to about 1/2″ from the top of the crust.  If the edges of the crust are already a little brown, cover them loosely with foil so they don’t burn.  Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is just starting to brown on the top, and has more or less set.  Cool on a rack, and serve hot, warm, room-temperature, or freezing cold – it’s all tasty!