Savory: Sausage and Green Onion Quiche

Simple and rustically beautiful, this is the perfect answer to the age old question: “Do real men eat quiche?”   The answer is a resounding YES!  This hearty, delicious, rich, anytime egg and cheese dish is perfect for a late morning brunch or a main dish with a salad for dinner.  The basic quiche recipe can be used for any variety of things: broccoli and bacon or crab and green onion, whatever you like.  My best tip for variations is to be sure that when you use something that has a high water content that you sauté first to get rid of some of the water or the pie becomes soggy and grainy in the middle.  Mushrooms are especially waterlogged so I cook them until they are dry and brown – what a great concentration of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1# bulk sausage (I love Hot Italian Sausage in this recipe)
• 2 bunches small green onions (about 1 cup)
• 6  Eggs
• 8 oz. grated Swiss cheese (or your favorite. NOTE: creamy cheeses do now work well ie: blue or cream cheese and some cheddar varieties are too greasy)
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Cup half-and-half
• 1 Tsp. Salt

Quiche Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Spray a 1.5” deep casserole with straight sides, or even a spring form pan.

2. Brown the bulk sausage (or whatever type) you use, breaking apart the chunks and making sure that it is completely done.  Drain in a strainer set over a bowl to remove excess grease.

3. Clean and chop the green onions. Chop to a ½”- 3/4” dice.  Sauté the green onions in the same un-cleaned pan where you browned the sausage.
 

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and half-and-half.
 
5. Fold in the cheese, sausage and green onions, reserving a half cup of the cheese to top the pie.
 

6. Pour the mixture into the pan; top with the remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes at 425ºF.

7. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF and bake for an additional 45 minutes.  Allow to sit for 15 - 20 minutes before cutting.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  Individual slices are great to freeze for quick meals.