Comfort Food to Warm the Soul: Making the Perfect Quiche

January was cold and snowy, a winter delight for those of us that were wishing for some of that magic around Christmas. As winter blanketed the world in a soft layer of snow, I found myself wanting the warmth and comfort of a homemade quiche to elevate the cold, snowy nights. A delightful marriage of flaky crust, creamy filling, and savory ingredients, quiche is not just a breakfast or brunch option—it's the perfect centerpiece for a cozy dinner by the fireplace.

While this can be done in a made-from-scratch shell, I always keep a few store-bought ones on hand during the winter for an easy dinner option as well!

For the Crust

Ingredients (for 2 crust shells):

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

5-7 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Sift flour and salt together; cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small pellets.

2. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon water over part of mixture; gently toss with fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all is moistened.

3. Form dough into a ball. Flatten on lightly floured surface and roll from center to edge until 1/8th inch thick.

4. Place in pie pan and trim edges to 1/2 inch beyond pan. Prick bottom and sides with fork. Pre-bake crust, in a preheated oven, at 450 degrees for 10 minutes before adding quiche filling.

For the Quiche Filling

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups heavy cream

4 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 ounces (1 cup) Gruyere cheese,

shredded

1 unbaked (9 inch) deep-dish pie shell

Instructions:

1. Beat the cream, egg, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the

2. Bake the pie empty pie shell at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Arrange any of the ingredients in the suggested variations below in the pie shell and pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 30

VARIATIONS:

For Simple Spinach Quiche, sauté 1 thawed 10-ounce package of frozen spinach in ¼

cup butter in a saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 minced garlic cloves. Slice 12 cherry tomatoes in half and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and balsamic vinegar; blister in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Proceed as above.

2. For Spinach Sausage Quiche, sauté 1 thawed 10-ounce package of frozen spinach in

¼ cup butter in a saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 minced garlic cloves.

Substitute 4 ounces (1 Cup) Monterey Jack cheese and add ½ pound of browned spicy

sausage and proceed as above.

So, when the next chilly snowfall graces the night, come together at the table, relish each mouthful of your crafted quiche, and allow its delightful warmth to carry you to a realm of culinary joy and winter warmth.