Easy Quiche Lorraine

French cooking is known for being fussy, but this recipe is an exception to that rule. Quick, simple, and elegant; if you enjoy eggs, this will quickly become a weeknight staple in your repertoire. I **highly** recommend making two in one go: one to eat, one to freeze and eat later! Or make two for a crowd or two to freeze and have down the road. Super versatile and a family favorite.

Ingredients for Two Quiche

Two frozen pie shells*

• 8 eggs

• 1 block (roughly 5oz) Gruyère cheese grated or chopped fine **

• 1 pint heavy cream (whole milk works great, but I did NOT have success with almond milk)

• 8-10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (pro tip: the oven method works great for large batches, but you’ll have to clean your oven soon after. I use a microwave bacon tray and have no shame about this.)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• A pinch of smoked paprika if you’re feeling sassy

*Wholly Gluten Free brand is great for GF folks. If you can’t find frozen, some of the crust mixes are pretty good too. Of course the results will be even better if you make your own, but this is meant to be an easy weeknight recipe.

**(any kind of Swiss cheese works–I’ve been known to use sliced packaged Swiss in a pinch, about 4 slices per quiche)

Preparation:

• On a baking sheet, blind-bake two empty pie shell according to package directions. For the brand I use, I thaw the crust on the counter for 10 minutes, prick them with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If your crust requires a different temperature, adjust to 400 when it’s finished baking. Protip: I used pie weights to ensure the crust wouldn’t shrink, but found that unnecessary with these frozen crusts.

• While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. For two quiche, I would get two bowls or a large mixing cups with a 2-cup capacity. Whisk four eggs per quiche in each bowl.

• Add 1/2 block of grated cheese and 1/2 the crumbled bacon to each bowl and combine with a fork.

• Add cream or milk until the 2-cup mark is reached. It’s okay to be a little scant rather than overfull.

• Add seasonings and stir with fork.

• Add the filling to the blind-baked shells and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden brown. Let the quiche set up 5 minutes before serving or it may be very gooey.

To freeze: let quiche cool completely and wrap well in heavy duty freezer wrap and top with a layer of aluminum foil. Will keep for two months in freezer if well wrapped. Bake from frozen at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, perhaps as long as 45-50. I test with a food thermometer, when it gets to about 160, it’s ready. Let the quiche set up for 5 minutes before cutting and enjoy!