Recipe for leek and mushroom quiche {vegetarian}
Trust me on this: you must have a basic quiche recipe in your repertoire, and always, always, always a package of store-bought pie crust in the refrigerator. You'll be amazed at the magic you can work with eggs, cheese and a bit of dough, plus whatever else you find in the pantry, especially when guests drop in, as they tend to do in summer. Think of this as your all-purpose quiche formula: change the cheese, swap out the veggies, use different herbs and seasonings. You can't go wrong. I love meatless variations, but if you have some rotisserie chicken or smoked salmon or cooked sausage, toss them into the mix. For a light summer lunch or supper, all you need is a wedge of quiche and a green salad, along with a glass of cold white wine. Enjoy the leftovers, if there are any, for breakfast.
Leek and mushroom quiche
From the pantry, you'll need: refrigerated pie crust, olive oil, eggs, thyme, grated cheese.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, or homemade crust
2 tsp olive oil
1 leek, white part only, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and black pepper
5 large eggs
3/4 cup half-and-half
8 oz grated cheese (I use a store-bought low-fat Italian cheese blend)
Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leek, mushrooms and bell pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the thyme leaves, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat, and set aside.
In a large bowl or 8-quart measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half. Stir in the cooked vegetables and the grated cheese.
Pour the egg mixture into the prepared crust, and carefully transfer it to the oven.
Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the eggs to set completely before you serve, or make ahead and let sit for an hour at room temperature, or up to one day in the refrigerator.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Red pepper, asparagus and spinach quiche
Asparagus, mushroom and sausage quiche
Quiche like Lorraine
One-bite vegetable quiche
Egg and cheese casserole with leeks, red pepper and bacon
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Crab, scallion and tomato quiche, from Cooking On the Side
Roasted vegetable quiche, from Use Real Butter
Baby kale, mozzarella, and egg bake, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Ham and cheese quiche, from Never Enough Thyme
Broccoli garlic quiche, from Love and Olive Oil
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You're absolutely right. Some people turn their nose up at refrigerated pie crust, but I've made some pretty respectable quiches with the contents of my fridge and a ready-made crust!
looks great. I think the combo of "something onion-y" and mushrooms is one I'll never get tired of. I like that this sounds really delicious without overthinking it.
TW, I am not a snob when it comes to pie crust. Having refrigerated crust on hand almost always is the difference, for me, between making something or not making it at all. In the case of quiche, the store-bought dough works perfectly well, and can handle any type of filling.
Todd, I agree, onions and mushrooms -- and thyme, which I have in abundance in my herb garden -- is irresistible.
You've just given me an excellent idea for what to do with some of the vegetables in our CSA that my kids aren't as eager to eat (zucchini, I'm looking at you) - throw it in a quiche! If I add bacon, maybe my husband will eat it too, lol.
I like that fact that this recipe can be easily changed. Like you said, swap out with other things and you are set to satisfy other people. BTW, I saw this on Grubodex and added to my board. I look forward to trying many other of your recipes.
That looks so delicious! The crust would be a splurge for me, but great to make when company was here. (Not the nephews though; doubt they would eat quiche except for the bacon and cheese kind their mom makes at Christmas.
Kathy, I'll never tell if you sneak a few vegetables in there! And yes, bacon makes everything better.
Kalyn, the crust is a splurge for me (and you can make this a crustless quiche, too), but for company it really "fancies up" what's basically an egg and cheese casserole.
Wendy, I like recipes that are flexible, too.
Very nice ... got to pin this one!
"rural northwest Rhode Island" That must be Burrillville. I grew up in Mapleville. Sorry I couldn't email you, I don't use Outlook. I love perusing your sites and the recipes, too. ann
I love a good quiche and consider this my "crutch" for using up odds and ends!
I love quiche but haven't made it at home. I'm going to try your formula and see how the family enjoys it.
FoodStories, thanks a lot!
Ann, I'm in the next town over. So glad you found your way to this blog!
Carol, same here. Eggs, cheese, crust, and whatever else I have on hand.
Patsy, very easy to make, easier than making a pie. Do give it a try, and I hope your family loves it.
I made this today for dinner and it was fantastic! My daughter, who doesnt like mushrooms or peppers ate the whole piece without picking out the vegetables! Next up is to make it with spinach and bacon.
I did lighten it up a bit and used evap skim milk for the half and half. I also used egg beaters for 2 of the 5 eggs. Both worked fine and I don't think that the fat was missed at all.
Debbie, I'm always delighted when readers adapt my recipes to their own preferences. Be fearless in the kitchen -- that's my motto!
I followed this to a tee and it made too much to fit into a deep dish pie shell. It's in the oven now and I'm worried it won't cook through. How full was your crust?