Melinda Lees Master Quiche Recipes

CRUSTLESS QUICHE MASTER RECIPE

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.

QUICHE RECIPE

Steps:

• I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin the quiche. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
• On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Chill the pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes.
• While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15-16 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all around the bottom crust with a fork. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Crust can still be warm when you pour in the filling. You can partially pre-bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill.)
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
• In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper together on high speed until completely combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in add-ins and then pour into crust.
• Bake the quiche until the center is just about set, about 45-55 minutes. Don't over-bake. Use a pie crust shield to prevent the pie crust edges from over-browning. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Top with optional toppings before slicing and serving, if desired. Or you can cool the quiche completely before serving- it's fantastic at room temperature!
• This quiche makes great leftovers! Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

QUICHE - MASTER RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Fill parbaked shells and bake until set.
• Any filling you wish to use.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

MELINDA LEE'S MASTER QUICHE RECIPE RECIPE

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

LEEK QUICHE

Steps:

• Unroll crust into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°., Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edges are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 325°., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add sausage and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over crust. Top with sausage mixture and tomatoes. Whisk eggs, cream, sour cream, thyme, salt and pepper; pour over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese., Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, top with additional fresh thyme.

LEEK QUICHE

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.