Quiche with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Swiss Cheese

Egg pie is what my 5 year old nephew called quiche as we made it together.  It was an interesting observation, even if it isn’t absolutely technically true.  But let us leave the legalisms of food nomenclature aside and focus instead on how darn delicious quiche is.  It’s custard-like, of course, which means there is an egg-like creaminess to the whole dish.  And then there’s a flaky pie crust that, as far as I know, everyone likes.  Plus, you get to fill it up with whatever flavors you like.  That’s one thing (of many) that I really like about eggs, you can dress them up with just about anything.  I like mine with bacon, sauteed  caramelized onions, and a swiss-style cheese.  It’s a nice balance of sweet and sharp and salty.  Here’s what I did:

Quiche with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Swiss Cheese, based on a recipe from The Joy of Cooking

1 pie crust

4 ounces, sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces and fried crisp

1 onion, diced and sauteed in a bit of olive oil until well-browned

1 cup Swiss cheese

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees  Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan.  Beat together the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper.  Place the bacon, caramelized onions, and cheese in the bottom of the pie pan.  Pour the egg mixture over the bacon.  Bake until the filling is set, about 25 to 35 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve.

This is a picture:

A few notes:  1) The Joy of Cooking suggests that you pre-bake the shell after glazing it with egg yolk.  It’s an interesting idea that I’ve never done.  The idea must be to have a crispier crust on the bottom.  It’s probably worth a try.  2)  Except icy cold, I think quiche is pretty much delicious at any temperature.  Don’t feel bad serving it to guests at room temperature.  3)  Experiment!!!!  Treat quiche like an omelet.  Throw whatever is on hand in there.  It will probably turn out delicious.