Bacon and eggs. It's so simple even a caveman can do it. It's rustic man food -- put the two in a skillet and fry 'em up. Men love to fry food -- I think it's the sizzle that attracts them. Bacon and eggs plus cheese and cream whisked together and gently baked in a flaky pie pastry -- it could be described as refined woman food. Generally speaking, women enjoy fussing with food and fussy foods. While I'm uncertain as to the percentage of men who would make a quiche for themselves, I can attest to the fact that rustic real men are indeed happy to eat a bacon and egg quiche.
This is, perhaps, the only quiche recipe you'll ever need:
Quiche reheats perfectly, which makes it great lunchbox fare:
1 7 1/2-ounce boxed, refrigerated pie pastry, at room temperature, fitted into a 9" quiche dish and decoratively edged
1 pound thick-sliced bacon, crisply-fried and chopped into small bits and pieces
8 ounces finely-shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Wondra Quick-Mixing Flour for Sauce and Gravy
1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
4 jumbo eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~ Step 1. Place bacon, slightly overlapping is fine, in an 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan (the kind with the corrugated bottom). Roast on center rack of 375º oven, 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is golden, crispy and desired degree of doneness is reached, stopping to flip the slices over, with a long-handled bacon fork, half-way through process. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle with hands, chop into small bits and pieces.
~ Step 2. In a large bowl place the chopped bacon, shredded white cheddar cheese and Wondra flour. Using two forks or two spoons, toss, as you would a salad, until all ingredients are evenly coated in the flour. Spoon meat-and-cheese mixture into pie pastry. Distribute it evenly throughout, and, mound it towards the center, but, do not compress or press down on it. You want it to remain light and airy.
~ Step 3. In a 4-cup measuring container, use a fork to whisk together the cream, eggs, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper. Using a back and forth motion, slowly drizzle the cream-and-egg mixture over and around the surface of the quiche. Go very slowly, so as to give the liquid all the time it needs to slowly drizzle down into the cracks and crevasses of the bacon and cheese mixture.
~ Step 4. Bake on center rack of 325º oven for 50-55 minutes, stopping to give the quiche a quarter-turn every 15 minutes so it browns evenly. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack 30-60 minutes prior to slicing and serving warm or at room temperature. Leftovers reheat great in the microwave (which makes lunch 45-seconds away), but, do not freeze well.
Cool at least 15 minutes, & up to 30-45-60 minutes:
Slice & serve hot, warm or at room temperature:
For breakfast, brunch, lunch or breakfast for dinner:
Simple and Basic Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Quiche: Recipe yields 8 hearty servings.
Special Equipment List: 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan w/corrugated bottom; long-handled bacon fork; paper towels; 9" quiche dish; cutting board; chef's knife; 2 forks or 2 spoons; 4-cup measuring container; whisk; wire cooling rack
Cook's Note: In our house, Sunday mornings are very laid back and relaxed. No alarm clocks, lots of coffee and tea drinking, newspaper and magazine reading, TV watching, and, always a cooked breakfast. In the Winter we watch the skiers come down Tussey Mountain through our kitchen windows. In the Summer, we often cook and eat outside while watching the joggers and bikers on Bear Meadows Road. Sundays are perfect for ~ Fluffy Scrambled Eggs and Bacon ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2020)
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