Once a week I purge my fridge and usually refuse to buy anything else until the leftovers are eaten !! The Frugal Scotswoman hails !! haha
But quite honestly, the best family dinners I seem to make, are those made with all that is left in the fridge from previous meals. I usually make some kind of sauce or stir-fry to combine the ingredients, but last night I decided to make an old favourite standby of mine....good old Quiche ! It's like breakfast and dinner rolled into one. I had some crispy bacon, which my husband has a passion for every morning....I think he thinks the birds are also coming for breakfast....always makes too much ! He is the breakfast Guru...and more power to him, that's all I'm saying...I'm not the breakfast kinda gal shall we say ?!
So we had a delicious, summery kind of dinner with Broccoli, Bacon and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Quiche, a 'to die for' salad [everything else left over] and a special request from my daughter....Chicken Noodle Soup, from a can !! AHHHGGG. Yes, I do serve and love the old standby, we all drink it up without a care ! This is a real home, where canned goods are part of our make-up, and there is no pretending that I stand at the stove boiling chickens, chopping veggies and counting calories as I do so !!
That said, I'm sure you are here for the Quiche Recipe, so here it is....
Broccoli, Bacon and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Quiche
I make my own pastry because it's really so darned easy and tastes a million times better than a store bought pastry shell.....and who has too many of them lying around ?? Hmm
You will need a 9 inch [approx] deep dish pie dish, I use a Pyrex glass dish
Pastry Shell
Ingredients
8 oz All-Purpose Flour
2 oz Butter [I use Unsalted all the time, I find Salted too 'salty', I like to add my own salt]
2 oz Shortening
Cold Water to bind [a couple of tablespoons at most]
Pinch of Salt
Directions
Sieve flour and salt.
Rub in butter and shortening with COOL fingers to a sandy texture.
Make a well in the center.
Add sufficient water, a tablespoon at a time, to make a fairly firm paste.
Keep refrigerated until use.
Now comes the fun part !!
I prefer to mold my pastry into the pie dish by hand....most recipes will tell you to roll the pastry out on a floured board, then roll it on to your pie dish. I have found that you end up having to fill in cracks with your fingers anyhow, so why not mold it by hand in the first place and cut out the washing up !
I made the shell in the morning and refrigerated it....this is important !!
No matter how COOL your hands are, the pastry must be firm when you add the filling !! No-one likes a soggy Quiche !
Filling
6 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Broccoli - cooked, approx 1 large handful
Bacon, cooked, 3 Strips, snipped with kitchen scissors, small pieces
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
Method
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Scatter the broccoli, bacon and cheese evenly over the pie crust.
Pour the egg mixture over the filling.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35/40 minutes or until the center is set.
Notes :
- You can use Heavy Cream in place of the milk to make a richer filling, but as I said, this was a 'use up leftover's' dinner....I don't have Heavy Cream lurking in my fridge without a name on it !!
- Everyone's portions are different, so if you have more filling, just pour your egg mixture carefully, not to overflowing....horrible smell from the oven ! If you have some egg mixture left over, make yourself a quick pick-me-up omelette, I won't tell !
- Of-course, go ahead and use whatever you have at hand for your Quiche, the base egg mixture will still work for you.
- Also, some people like to pre-bake their pie shell to ensure a crispy crust throughout. You can do that of-course, but for me, it would have defeated the purpose of the family dinner....too much time spent in the kitchen....mine turned out just fine and the family loved it !
