Maybe you'll remember a time back in the late 1970s and early '80s when quiche was all the rage. Restaurants of any caliber had their version of Quiche Lorraine on the menu and some restaurants wholly revolved around this dish, offering as many ingredient options as a pizza joint has toppings. Quiche has been around at least since the eighteenth century, when it was named after the Lorraine region of France where household staples of cream, eggs and cheese were combined in a tart shell to create this light, airy, savory dish. The quiche craze culminated with a 1982 book that practically ended it, "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche," a tongue-in-cheek exposé about the evolving definition of masculinity. Quiche went out of vogue shortly thereafter for a thirty-five year hiatus.
But now, it seems, quiche is making a comeback and My Number On Fan gets all of my accolades and recognition for finding and expertly preparing this crustless version on her very first attempt. Found originally on kalynskitchen website, several modifications were made, and we were both impressed with how easily this came together. We use a round 10-inch by 2-inch quiche baking dish, but any baking dish will do as long as the batter, when poured, is no more that about an inch and a half thick.
You could, if you were so inclined, make this recipe as a traditional crust version quiche by using a store-bought pie crust and following the directions to par-bake the crust, then carrying on with this recipe from there, but would likely have to increase your baking time by five minutes or so.
We learned that using a 3-1/2 ounce package of real bacon bits, sold under both the Oscar Mayer and Hormel brands, made this an easier dish to prepare, and adding the bacon in the bottom of the dish made some semblance of a crust. A bacon crust. Who needs a pie shell?
Ingredients
8 slices of regular bacon, cooked crispy and chopped OR
16 slices of microwavable bacon, zapped and chopped (like, Boar's Head) OR
1 3-1/2 oz package pre-cooked chopped bacon bits (like Hormel or Oscar Mayer)
7 extra large eggs
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1-1/2 cups grated 50/50 Swiss and Gruyère cheese (like, Private Selection Alpine Blend)
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh grated, NOT the Kraft green can)
1/4 cup green onions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning
1/8 tsp Morton's Nature's Seasoning
pinch white pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 tsp chives or green onion for garnish
non-stick cooking spray (like, butter-flavored Pam)
The Recipe
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. In high altitudes (above 5,000 feet), heat the oven to 365F degrees. Ensure a rack is in the top 1/3 of the oven.
Beat the eggs using a whisk until homogenized, then add the cream, white pepper, nutmeg, Mrs. Dash and the Nature's Seasonings and whisk until all is well combined.
Liberally spray a baking dish with the non-stick spray, then layer the chopped bacon on the bottom of the dish, followed by the grated cheeses and green onions.
Pour the eggs and cream mixture into the baking dish and then shake the dish or use a fork to ensure all the ingredients are more or less evenly distributed throughout. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or 45 minutes at high altitude.
Start keeping an eye on the quiche at 35 minutes, but it should be done when it has expanded and beginning to brown on top, and when nothing in the center of the dish moves when you shake it. If the center jiggles a bit when you shake the baking dish, that means the eggs have not cooked all the way through.
Let the quiche cool about five minutes before cutting it into to slices. It will deflate a little, and that's normal. Garnish with the chives or green onions before serving.
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