Comfort Food: Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Quiche

Quiche - French comfort food!

I am (mostly) French, so quiche is a familiar and familial dish for me. My dad made this for me on Saturday mornings when I was a little girl, and I would watch him chop and layer the ingredients with much interest. By that I mean, I was at his elbow, sneaking bits of veggie and bacon and getting scolded/comforted when he would, inevitably, elbow me in the face. 

This is one of my favorite dishes to make when I need a little comfort. We serve it with a garden salad or fresh fruit. I plan on taking one to my mother in law’s house for Mother’s day brunch this year!  I  like to add mild cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar doesn’t melt as well). This recipe is GREAT for finishing up leftovers, and freezes well, for those of you who like to cook ahead.

A great way to use leftover veggies!

Ingredients:

1 frozen pie crust shell,thawed for 10-15 minutes on counter

1 cup leftover broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup ham, cooked and diced

5 large eggs

1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried minced Garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried chopped onion flakes

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon parsley (optional)

1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese or mozzarella. I also use ‘Italian blend’ and ‘taco blend’ occasionally.

Mild works better than sharp, half fat works better than fat free

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°.

Prick the bottom of the thawed crust with a fork. Dice your ham and broccoli.

Saute the ham in a small  pan. This removes the excess moisture, and will keep your quiche from becoming soggy. Sprinkle your ham and broccoli in the bottom of the pie crust.

Sizzle!

Beat the eggs and milk until slightly frothy.Mix in the mustard,garlic,onion flakes,paprika and parsley(optional). Salt and pepper to taste. [I choose to not use any salt, since there is plenty of salt in the cheese.] Pour egg mix into the  pie crust over the ham and broccoli.

Just beat it!

Sprinkle cheese over egg mixture. Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes, or until quiche filling is set and top is ever so slightly browned.

Eggie Pie, as my daughter calls it

HINT: tap your quiche. If it bounces back at you, its perfect!

Delicious with fresh fruit!