Not sure why, but every now and then a quiche just sounds good.  Not a delicate little girlie quiche, but one that means business and that can satisfy my husband too.  Plus the added benefit is the girls love the eggs so its another meal we all can eat!

I have not made this one before, but I love all things from The Peach Tree Cafe in Fredricksberg, Texas and therefore all things from their cookbook.  So I’ll let you know after we make this tonight!

Southwest Quiche – The Peach Tree Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 basic pie crust partially baked – recipe follows.  (To save time during the week, I use Trader Joe’s pie crust.)
1/2 cup purple onion sliced (I dice to help hide for kids)
1/2 t garlic minced (I use Trader Joe’s frozen minced cloves ready to go)
1 T butter, margarine or cooking oil
10 eggs
1 t salt
1 t white pepper
1 t ground comino
1 t garlic minced (same as above)
1 t jalapenos
2-2 1/2 cups Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup chicken, cooked & cubed (I am using Costco Rotisserie chicken that’s shredded in freezer from the weekend)
1 cup green chilies, sliced in strips (I’m using a can of diced Ortega b/c of the kids)
1 cup corn

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onion and garlic in butter, margarine or cooking oil.
3. Beat eggs in blender with salt, white pepper, comino, garlic and jalapenos
4. Add milk to egg mixture.
5. In prepared crust, place half of cheese on bottom.  Layer with chicken, green chilies, corn, sauted onion mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Pour egg mixture over layered ingredients.
7. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow quiche to cool for 15 minutes for easier dicing.

Basic Quiche Crust:

This recipe comes straight from The Peach Tree as well.  They recommend making several at a time and freezing for later use.  The other option of course is to find a good store bought one that you like, which for me is Trader Joe’s.  I love to make my own pie or quiche crust, but have found it’s one of the things that had to go with Littles grabbing at my ankles!  But if you have the time, this is a great recipe.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
2 T Crisco shortening
6 T CHILLED butter (not margarine)
5 T ICED water

1. Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut in Crisco and butter with a pastry blender until crumbly.
2. Add ICED water, a little at a time, mixing with a fork until well blended.  Place dough in to a plastic bag and gently press dough together into a flat disk.  Seal bag.  Refrigerate dough for 30 to 60 minutes.
3. ON floured board, carefully roll dough to fit quiche pan 10″ in diameter by 2″ deep.  Carefully lift into pan, trimming dough, and rolling edge under to form a rim.  Flue the edge.
4. Put a layer of foil over dough and fill to the top with either pie weights or dry pinto beans.  This prevents crust from puffing up and shrinking.
5. Bake crust for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.
6. Remove beans and foil, prick crust bottom with foil several times, and bake 10 more minutes at 400 degrees.  The quiche crust is now ready for filling.  Reduce temperature of oven to 350 degrees.

Makes 1 quiche crust, 10″ diameter x 2″ deep.