Real men eat quiche!
At least I do... and I love it. Especially when it is filled with delicious cheeses from Switzerland. While living there, I learned about all the great cheeses that Switzerland produces and was introduced to my greatest of all love affairs.... Gruyere. Though hard, pungently stinky, you'll be surprised at how creamy, sweet, nutty, and slightly salty this cheese is when melted. No other cheese compares! In most fondue recipes, Gruyere is the first cheese that is called for and is always melted with other complementing cheeses. I stuck to the traditional and used Emmenthal, which here is America we simply call, "Swiss Cheese." This quiche is jam-packed with the good stuff and you'll love how light and fluffy it comes out...
6-8 servings
30 minute prep time
50-60 minute cooking time
Ingredients
1 unbaked 10 inch pie crust (sold in two-packs in the dairy section)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 Fuji apple or any flavorful apple of your choice, diced
6 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (avoid reduced fat if you can)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 lb Gruyere, shredded
1/4 lb Emmenthal (Swiss Cheese), shredded
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
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Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 10-inch pie dish with pie crust, press into sides, crimp the edges, and poke the bottom and sides with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pastry weights (uncooked rice or beans... this prevents the crust from rising while baking). Transfer to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until edges turn golden brown. Meanwhile...
2. In a skillet with a bit of olive oil and butter, saute onions and apples over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until caramelized and avoid browning or burning. Meanwhile...
3. In a large mixing blow, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, salt, and pepper. Add cheeses and mix until well combined.
4. Once the pie crust is baked, discard pastry weights and immediately transfer onions and apples to the pie crust. Pour egg and cheese mixture over the top. The liquid may overflow over the crust, but there is no worries about that. Spread the cheese so that it is even throughout the pie shell. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
5. Bake quiche at 375 degrees until completely cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. To test for doneness, shake the quiche--a cooked quiche will not wiggle. Double check by sticking a knife in the center--if it comes out clean, your quiche is done! The top should be golden and the egg should be firm. Serve warm... enjoy!
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Quick & Dirty Tips
I once cooked this at 350 degrees on accident. It took longer to cook by almost 20 minutes but came out a little fluffier. If you like that... do it!
You can add just about anything you want to this dish. Just saute it with the onions and apples. Bacon crumbles are always tasty!
I don't measure out the nutmeg. I just use a microplane, a whole nutmeg nut, and put on as much as I like... and I like it a lot. Microplanes are a must have for a modern kitchen in my opinion...
Ketchup is always a nice dipping sauce... even if you are eating fancy cheese! Try warming it in the microwave instead of having it cold. Or, spice it up with a few shakes of Tobasco!
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