Broccoli & Bacon Quiche

My thoughts and prayers to any of you or your family that was affected by Typhoon Haiyan. My heart melts in sadness for those affected by this tragic event that has resulted in so much loss of life. Please know that I will be keeping you all in my thoughts.

I also wanted to say Happy (delayed) Veterans Day. I am so thankful for the past and current service members who dedicate and put their lives at risk for the rest of us to spend our lives pursuing our dreams. To wake up and go to sleep in peace, to spend our weekends with our families and to be happy. There is no Thank-you Card for that. And a day of honor is not nearly enough to be sufficient. But I thank you all from the depth of my heart to allow someone, from an immigrant family to live in this country, marry the man of my dreams from a different background, pursue higher education and be happy.

I have been feeling much better :) The hubby and I are dog sitting, so Ninja has a playmate this week. He is  large Ridgeback that is as sweet as can be with a great temperament like Ninja. But because he is so tall and loves food (who doesn't, right?), cooking and baking has been harder, since he can easily swipe things off the counter and table (unlike the much shorter Ninja) -- so I have been MacGyver and made these home-fashioned food barriers..hahahaha.

Also, in preparation for my sister and cousin visiting for Thanksgiving, the hubby and I have done some re-decorating. I inherited most of our furniture from my dad. Well, I finally got to pick out a new (large) dining table (which is awesome because I need the space to bake/cook on since my kitchen is tiny -- if you saw a picture of it, you would be in shock), a new coffee table and TV stand :) Both the coffee table and TV stand have lots of shelves, because we could definitely use the storage. I LOVE our new furniture! I'll post pictures when everything is built :)

I have made quiche before (Spinach, Mushroom & Ham Quiche). It made me feel quite fancy :) It is funny, because up until that recipe, I had never made or tried quiche. It just sounded really cool and I wanted to try something new. Since then, I have been hooked. I have a little confession. Kroger, a grocery chain, that is located right by me sells quiche. I am addicted to their ham and onion quiche. In one sitting I can eat an entire quiche. Well, after two quiches down, I decided to give the hubby a break from my midnight quiche run requests;) and make one myself! This time, I took the easy route. Instead of making my own crust, I bought those rolled pie crusts you can purchase in the refrigerated section. I know right?! But sometimes it is just so much easier and comes out just as yummy! Gotta take you breaks when you can. Plus in all fairness, I made a crust from scratch last time (let's keep this as my dirty little secret ;) And do you know what I realized. Quiches are absurdly easy to make! I love it (hahaha...I love all easy meals). It was so good that I made this two nights in a row! And the hubby and I gobbled it down.

BROCCOLI & BACON QUICHE

Adapted from PBS Foods

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

1 (9' inch) boxed, refrigerated pie crust (or homemade pie crust)
4 strips of bacon
1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. shredded yellow cheese
6 eggs
1 1/4 c. heavy cream (or milk)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. diced green onions 
Pinch of salt and pepper

*Optional: 1 tsp. crushed red pepper and a pinch of paprika

DIRECTIONS

In a greased pie pan, roll out pie crust. Using a fork, pierce the pie crust. Cover center with aluminum foil and add pie weights. Bake for 15-20 minute until crust is golden brown and slightly under baked. Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until strips are crisp. Chop bacon into pieces and set aside. Without draining the fat in the skillet, place chopped broccoli into the skillet. Satue until broccoli is tender and fragrant. Evenly spread broccoli and bacon in the semi-baked pie crust. Top with shredded cheese.

In a medium bowl, prepare custard by whisking together eggs, milk, garlic powder, diced onions, salt and pepper. Pour custard into the pie shell and bake for 45-60 minutes. The quiche is cooked when no liquid custard remains and only jiggles slightly in the middle when moved. Allow to completely cool.

Enjoy,
Chika