Quiche Lorraine Mini-Pies

I came up with this idea for breakfast one day, based upon my Quiche Lorraine recipe, but simplified for quick, easy preparation. They were delicious!

Note that with all the following recipes a primary indication of doneness is having reached an internal temperature of 165° as tested by an instant reading thermometer.

4 puff pastry shells (Pepperidge Farm)
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. red or green bell pepper, chopped (or half each)
butter
6 strips bacon
4 eggs (or 1 C. egg substitute)
1 C. Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 C. heavy cream
dash of nutmeg
sprinkling of pepper

Thaw the pastry shells at room temperature for about an hour, then place the shells between sheets of plastic and roll them out very thinly to use as crusts for individual 10 oz. Pyrex dishes. Do not expect to cover the entire inner surface of the dishes as it is not required. Spray the dishes with aerosol vegetable oil to discourage sticking, then fit the dough into the dishes and poke each several times with a fork to allow the release of gases while baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 12 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. The pastry will be puffed up but it will subside as it cools.

Cook the bacon in a sauté pan until barely crisp and set aside on paper towels to blot up the bacon fat. Then cut or break up the strips into smaller than bite sized pieces.

After chopping the onion and bell peppers, place them in a microwave safe dish, add a bit of butter, then nuke them until the vegetables are limp, stirring occasionally.

Mix the remaining ingredients with the bacon, onion and bell peppers, then divide the mix between the four pastry shells. Dot the top of each with a few small pieces of butter. Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Allow them to cool slightly, then serve. Makes 4 servings.

Proportions for 2 servings:

1/2 C. onion, chopped
1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped (or half red, half green)
butter
3 strips bacon
2 eggs (or 1/2 C. egg substitute)
1/2 C. Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 C. heavy cream
dash nutmeg
sprinkling of pepper

Credit: My own recipe.

Quiche Mini-Pies II

Okay, here's another mini-quiche version and it's even easier because you don't need to cook any bacon. It's no longer Quiche Lorraine of course since there isn't any bacon. And you can leave out the pastry shells if you don't have them or if you want to make this recipe even easier. I've used Gruyère cheese this time, but you can use any cheese you like, or any cheese you have on hand. You may also substitute any vegetables of your preference.

4 puff pastry shells (Pepperidge Farm) (optional)
4 oz. red bell pepper, chopped fine
4 oz. green bell pepper, chopped fine
4 oz. onion, chopped fine
1 T. butter or margarine
4 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
4 eggs
4 T. cream
dash nutmeg
sprinkling of pepper

Prepare the pastry shells as directed above. Put the bell peppers, onion and butter in a microwave safe dish and nuke it for a minute, stir it, then nuke it for another minute and set it aside. Mix the cheese, eggs and cream in a bowl. Add a dash of nutmeg and a dash of pepper, to taste. Stir in the vegetable mixture, then divide it between the four dishes. Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Allow them to cool slightly, then serve. Makes 4 servings.

Note: You can make these mini-pies up to just before the final baking and then refrigerate or freeze them to be used later. If frozen, be certain you allow enough time for them to thaw before you bake them. (Or maybe not. I'll have to try them from freezer to oven and see. Be careful though that you don't shatter the dishes from temperature shock. Pyrex should be safe but I haven't tried this.) Alternately you can bake them as directed above and then either refrigerate or freeze them, and then microwave them when you want to serve them. If refrigerated, microwave a couple of minutes until they reach serving temperature. Frozen would take longer and would probably benefit from a longer, slower defrost cycle first. (This note applies to all the recipes on this page.)

Credit: My own original recipe.

Filed under Breakfast Tagged French