I’ve been methodically going through my cooking files. Everything is kept in legal sized hanging files, where I can jot things down on the folders themselves, such as cookbooks that offer a recipe that I use often, idea notes can be tossed in indiscriminately to a parent file. I moved away from a recipe card box a long, long time ago. I still have the recipes; they’re just in larger folders now.
As I work through the files, it gives me a chance to look at the whole of an idea, instead of a recipe standing on it’s own. Sorting through my “breakfast” file, I’m reminded of the amount of milk to egg, for quiche, that works. Little things like ratio are actually really important building blocks in developing a recipe. If I know these things, then I’m able to be creative without messing with the core. Of course, the ingredients you mix with the core can have an effect on the finished product, but it’s usually best to start with what you know. It just makes for better science!
For this quiche, I use the core of ¼ cup of milk to each extra-large egg. It has a good ratio of cheese to the other filling. Which gives a recipe that is easy to switch some of the ingredients to create something new, or simply to make use of what you have on hand.
This quiche is an excellent meal. It can easily be converted to a vegetarian version, and is naturally gluten-free. The mashed potatoes that are used for the crust work best if they are a day old. Just make some the day before, if not using leftovers.
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Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 cups of mashed potatoes made from about 1# of potatoes. It’s okay if you have a bit more than two cups. After cooking and draining the potatoes, let them sit in the hot dry pot for about 20 minutes before mashing with ¼ c of milk, and season with salt. Slightly dry is preferable to wet.
Olive oil or melted butter for brushing on potato crust
1 small onion, about 5 oz or 140 gr
1 T butter
1 c chopped, cooked chicken – ½” dice or a bit smaller
2 c arugula (about 2½ oz or 70 gr)
6 oz mixed Gruyère & Cheddar cheeses, grated (about 1 ½ c, packed)
3 extra-large eggs
¾ c milk
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t nutmeg
2 finely chopped green onions
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°
Lightly grease or butter a 9” pie dish.
Press the potatoes evenly throughout the dish, building up the top of the sides to a finger-width higher than the pan.
Brush the crust with the melted butter or oil – you’ll need a couple of teaspoons.
Bake the crust in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.
While the crust is baking, prepare the other ingredients.
Cut the onion in half root to stem, and then crosscut into ¼” slices.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add in the onions, stirring to separate.
Cook the onions until they’re golden and starting to crisp along their edges, 8 minutes or so.
Add in the chicken, stir to combine, and cook for 4 minutes.
Add in the arugula and cook while stirring slowly, until the arugula has wilted.
Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs.
Whisk in the milk.
Whisk in the seasonings.
Put the cooked vegetables and chicken in the bottom of the baked crust.
Top with the mixed grated cheeses, in an even layer.
Gently pour the egg mixture over.
Arrange the cheeses back into an even layer if they’ve moved around too much while adding the egg mixture.
Sprinkle the top with the chopped green onions.
Put the quiche into the oven.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the center is set.
Remove and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing into wedges, and serving.
Vegetarian Option: Use 1½ cups of chopped, steamed broccoli instead of the chicken and arugula.
