photo by Genevieve Humphreys

While we have had to stay at home for a good portion of our time, I have been spending most of my away-from-desk time in the kitchen. Some of that time is spent keeping my roommate company while she makes things like pies and soups, but then there are my own baking endeavors. The kind of baking and cooking that I like to do is making food that will last me a few days. I’m busy. The Trinitonian doesn’t get put together in a day. I don’t want to spend all of my free time making things (especially because that means extra time and energy cleaning and doing the dishes).

Quiches are quick, cheap, filling and so tasty! Not to mention, quiche is one of those foods that reheat surprisingly well, making it ideal for baking one day, then eating over the rest of the week. This egg pie, if you dare to call it that, undoubtedly has become a go-to of mine, and I am excited to share it with you.

The best part is that this breakfast classic is highly versatile. Once you have a solid base recipe, you can start to throw things in and get creative. This particular recipe is just that. You can even adapt it to your vegetarian preferences and add mushrooms and peppers, or, like me, enjoy it with a handful of bacon. Another option is to forgo the crust completely and have a gluten-free breakfast that is tasty even without a flakey crust. Or maybe you just forgot to pick up a pre-fab pie crust and are not in the mood to whip up a crust yourself. Spoiler alert: it still works!

For those of you who want to make the crust, I have included the recipe that I have used and it seems to do the job quite nicely. It may look a little more “homemade,” but that’s because it is. Channel your inner ‘50s housewife and play around with baking from scratch. It may start to explain why wine is so popular with that generation. Or you can go for the frozen/refrigerated crust and save some energy.

Crust (optional):

Prep time: 10 mins, then 20 to chill

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon sea salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

2½ tablespoons ice water

1. Combine the egg and ice water. The water needs to be cold so that the crust will hold its shape when you pour in your egg mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. Whisk!
3. Next, add the butter. It helps to chop it into cubes so that it becomes a coarse mixture instead of a breaded butter stick.
4. When the texture is consistent, start adding your egg water and watch as your dough becomes more dough-ish.
5. From here, you can roll out the dough, put it into your pie pan that you definitely have (though a brownie pan works just fine), and cut the excess that hangs over the edge.
6. A hack for the busy people: We are skipping the typical step of chilling your dough ball before putting it in your pie pan. Instead, just pop the pan with the dough into the freezer for 20 mins while you get your filling ready. Also, I don’t find that it’s necessary to par-bake or pre-cook this crust before making your quiche.

Filling (fills a 9’’ pie crust):

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 35-45 mins

6 large eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups heavy cream

2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

1½ cups shredded swiss/cheddar cheese

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, or replace with ham)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine eggs, cream, and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender (or aggressively whisk in a bowl).
2. Layer the spinach, bacon, cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.
3. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the top.
4. Now, bake it for 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until the egg mixture is set. If the eggs jiggle, it is not ready. The top should golden brown, too.

And that is it! Your quiche is ready to be served or packed up for later. While I am no expert chef, my taste buds are highly skilled and know what they know. This dish satisfies the palette, the wallet and the busy lifestyle.