I haven't made a quiche for a while and decided to try out a new recipe.We wanted to eat about 5:30 so I started preparations in plenty of time (I thought) at 4:15. I don't know what time I actually put the quiche in the oven, but I do know it seemed like it took a long time to get the crust ready. (And this despite the fact that I didn't even have to make the crust from scratch but rather used one of my pre-made pie crust balls from the freezer.)
The recipe called for pre-baking the crust so I did that while frying up some bacon and crumbling it, sauteing onions in the bacon drippings, and mixing up the egg, milk and cheese for the filling.
As I was ready to slide the quiche into the oven, I checked the recipe and was surprised to see it took 50 minutes to bake. Hmmm. Well, I should have read the instructions more carefully . . . guess it has been a long time since I've made a quiche.
Okay, into the oven to bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Tested after 50 minutes and it wasn't anywhere near done. Set timer for another 8 minutes. Nope, still not done. I ended up baking the darn thing for 25 minutes longer than the specified 50 minutes before I dared call it done.
Then it needed to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.
Bottom line, husband was very patient, I was not. I diddled with that darn dish from 4:15 until we were sitting down to eat at 6:25. By that time, it wouldn't have tasted good to me if . . . if . . . if Martha Stewart had come by and prepared it herself. (Well, that's probably not true. Have you ever noticed that by the time you get through with all the cooking, sauteing, chopping, mixing, handling and preparing of food, you're sick of it, and it has absolutely no flavor or appeal to you? Happens to me all the time. Talk about being tired of your own cooking. A mediocre meal prepared by SOMEONE ELSE would taste ten times better!)
The dinner was not a failure. I guess. Husband said it was really good and ate two big slices. I grumped and grumbled most of the way through the meal.Even though I may have used up four of our lovely, fresh eggs by choosing to make the dinner I did last night, I don't think I'll be making a quiche again anytime soon. But I may try to wangle a night out at our favorite mom and pop restaurant in the near future.
25 comments:
Your crust looks awfully light for being in the oven so long.
Dinner one night soon at your favorite mom & pop restaurant? When? I'll be there! You can treat me to dinner again like you did for our yummy Easter-on-Saturday-night last week! ;)
My sentiments exactly!! It sure does look yummy though!!! Of course someone else cooked it...not me!
Hey, JJ - I know, that struck me, too. But I have two oven thermometers in the oven to check the setting and that seems to be right on. Other things cook and bake just fine. Kinda weird, huh?
Hi, Chickie Mama - It's a date . . . as soon as we can coordinate times!
Hi, Beth - You know of what I speak!
Try crepes...they also use 4 eggs, but are FAST and can be made sweet or savory!
mmmm, I love quiche. Yours looks really good Mama Pea!
Just a thought here, but doesn't quiche freeze well? My mom bought some frozen ones at Costco and once thawed they warmed up pretty nicely in the oven. I'm not recommending buying quiche, however - especially when your homemade ones are made with love. :>)
My husband always says why do you get so excited when I say let's eat out. I say for one day I don't have think about what to make for dinner and do I have all the ingredients to make something for dinner, do I have to go to the store. I can just come home from work relax until he gets home. Ahhh!
Hiya, Claire - So tell me, m'dear, what do you put in your crepes as a main entree? I'd like to try some.
Hi, Ruthie - I usually like quiche, too, but I gotta admit, I didn't like that one last night much! ;o)
Hey, Conny - What a good idea! 'Bout the only 'convenience' food I have in the house is that which I take time to prepare for the freezer and can pull out to use without hardly any more work. You gave me a the idea to try freezing the two nice sized slices of last night's quiche that were left. They're in the freezer now. Thanks!
Hi, Judy - Welcome and thanks for commenting! Isn't that the truth?? There is so much more to preparing meals than pulling a few things out of the refrig and doing it. Most of the time, just THINKING of what I should make is the hardest part. My husband does an awful lot for me but he doesn't cook at all. Not even grilling so it's a real treat for me to go out to eat!
I'm sorry this quiche left a sour (not literal here, I hope) taste in your mouth. We make quiche weekly because of all our layers and love it.
I love the IDEA of going out to eat, but about half the time I'm disappointed because I've built it up in my mind so much and the poor cooks don't stand a chance.
Hi, ThyHand - I know exactly what you mean about desiring a really, really, really good meal out and . . . usually not getting it. :o( My husband does not particularly like going out to eat because he says he never gets anything as good as he can at home. (Sigh.) But, for me, it is so nice to go out and be waited on, served, taste something I haven't had to prepare myself and then leave without doing any clean-up! Such a dilemma, eh?
Boy, this has happened to me more than once, but I can't remember what they were now.
We're doing a quiche tonight, actually. Ham, onion, cheese, and....roasted asparagus fresh from picking!
There are some resturants serving excellent pies up there. Wish I were there right now! Your quiche looks lovely-if only they weren't so much work.
My first quiche took about 2 hours and still didn't look done, LOL! But now I use about 8 eggs and lighten the milk, it may be more like scrambled eggs inside but it cooks :)! So much for recipes, I find that now that I'm comfortable with them I just throw whatever in them, tonights quiche will be about 8-10 eggs and leeks from the garden, but then again I have 3 guys in the house to feed so I don't feel bad about all the eggs!
Hey, Jody - I think all of us chicken raisers must be inundated with eggs right now . . . so many quiches being baked! Your fresh asparagus . . . oh, your fresh asparagus! I do love asparagus. I've planted it twice here on this homestead (both times in the same spot which may have been my problem) and not had any success either time. Maybe someday I'll get big and brave and try again . . . in a different spot!
Hi, Melissa - MY quiche sure was a lot of work! But I'll bet if I did it again soon (maybe with a couple of modifications) it would go a lot better.
Howdy, Erin - Ya know, that crossed my mind that my recipe was kinda heavy on the milk. It called for one cup milk and one cup light cream with the four eggs. On your recommendation, I'm gonna try more eggs and less liquid. Thanks, ma'am!
more eggs will at least help with the overload the chickens have been giving you, LOL!
I'm with you on this one, Mama Pea!!! I am so tired of my own so-called cooking that I would give the meal preparation up in a minute if someone would offer to take it over. I used to cook meat balls and pork half the day in what we called gravy (spaghetti sauce to non-Philadelphia residents) and by the time dinner time came, I could have cared less if I ate pasta or not that night. Also, I totally agree that figuring out what the heck to have day after day after day is the hardest part. Guess we shouldn't complain though as there are so many others out there who wish they had our abundance of food problem. Makes one pause a bit. (I also love quiche!!! Even my husband will eat it now!)
I usually put maple syrup in my crepes, being married to a bona fide Canadian. ;) But, I can imagine they'd be good with anything you'd use for omelets, such as sauteed mushrooms and peppers, or maybe some diced sundried tomatoes and cream cheese and asparagus???
Hi, Karen - I, too, thought of our abundance when I was writing this post and grumping about food.
Thinking of what to make for meals always makes me think of a girl friend I had in high school. Her mother had seven dinners that she made over and over. Monday night it would be spaghetti, Tuesday night meat loaf, Wednesday night chicken, etc. Week after week. You always knew what day it was by what dinner was being served. I guess that would take the hassle out of meal planning, but I would go NUTS with that little variety!
Thanks for the suggestions, Claire. I'm gonna try it.
Hi Mama Pea! It looks lovely, but I completely understand how you feel! Only usually, I also have 3 out of 4 children who also don't like it and would rather eat PB&J! That would have taken 5 minutes and been enjoyed more by 4 out of 5 of us! :)
Hi, Patty - Food! Such an emotional issue. One could write a thesis on it, I'm sure. (Heck, many people have!)
Even though I raised only one little kiddlie, I was very lucky in that she would eat anything. (Well, with the exception of Green Pie made with comfrey . . . she'll tell you ALL about that!)
I just discovered your blog through Chicken Mama and will be anxiously reading it now.
More quiche adventures! After making three quiches in as many days, I'm far more excited by the idea of crepes...or maybe waffles. Waffles use a fair amount of eggs, and I like to do up a batch of slightly under-done ones, then use them to make sandwiches in the toaster oven. A beef sandwich on a good eggy waffle tastes kind-of like roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. Yum!
P.S. I agree that switching the egg-milk ratio would help on the cooking time. With four eggs, I'm thinking the amount of milk/cream should be kept to about a cup.
MaineCelt - I got a kick out of your roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding sandwich! You clever little cooker, you!
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