Make-Your-Own-Quiche Bar

Can you think of anything a spatularette wants more than a hearty brunch the morning after a big night out on the town?  Yeah, neither can we!  If you peruse the internet food blogs you will be sure to find tons of great hot breakfast recipes, but most of them are pretty labor intensive. We are sure they are delicious but a complicated recipe makes brunch anything but enjoyable for the host.

When making plans for her friend's bachelorette weekend, Tall One knew she wanted to serve something special for brunch, but also knew she didn't want to spend her morning flipping pancakes, frying bacon, or making eggs to order.  And that's when it hit her!  What could be more adorable than a make-your-own-quiche bar!  Now don't get us wrong, these guys do take some work, but it can literally all be done ahead of time!  When brunch time rolls around, let your guests add the fillings of their choice to their crusts, pour in the egg mixture, and put them in the oven.  It's that simple!

Remember those mini 4 inch springform pans we used to make Very Berry Cheesecake a few weeks ago?  Well, we put them to use again to make these quiche and were thrilled with the results!  Check your local Michaels or online if you are interested in purchasing a few.  The mini springforms are definitely the best addition Tall One has made to her kitchen in a long while!

INGREDIENTS:

Pie Crust:
-2 1/2 cups flour
-1 tsp salt
-1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cub es
-1/4 cup water, refrigerated until cold

Egg Batter:
-7 large eggs
-1 cup buttermilk
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper

Suggested Filling:
-Green Pepper
-Onion
-Asparagus
-Tomato
-Cooked Bacon
-Cooked Sausage
-Cheddar Cheese
-Goat Cheese

Spray six 4 inch springform pans with cooking spray and set aside.

To make the crust, combine the flour and the salt in a medium sized bowl or the base of a food processor.  Use a pastry cutter or the steel blade of the food processor to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a course cornmeal.  Slowly add the cold water, 1 Tbs at a time and continue to pulse or pastry cut until a dough forms.  Chill for a few minutes in the refrigerator if needed.

Separate the dough into 6 equal pieces.  Use your hands to press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each springform pan.  It should be a very thin layer of dough.  We tried rolling it out and laying it into the pans but found that it was much easier to do when we pressed it in with our hands.  Cover the dough-filled pans with foil and refrigerate until ready to make the quiche.  We made our crusts a day ahead of time!

The day before your brunch, finely chop the veggies, breakfast meats, and cheeses of your choice.  Place the fillings in separate bowls, cover them with foil and refrigerate until brunch time.

On the morning of the brunch, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, salt, and pepper and set aside.

Place each of the fillings out the counter and give a pie crust to each of your guests.  Ask your guests to fill the springform pan about halfway full with the fillings of their choice.  Pour the egg batter into each of the springform pans, filling them to about 1/4 inch below to top of the crust.  Drop each pan gently on the counter a few times to let the batter and the ingredients settle.

Bake the quiche for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Let the pies cool in the springform pan for about 10 minutes before gently removing the sides and serving.

Tall One's spatularettes friends were super smitten by these mini quiche and yours will be too!!

XOXO,
Tall and Small