Brunch Watch: Bacon Quiche

Easy, eggy and delicious:

When I think of bacon I think of that commercial for dog treats, you know the one. Not that I have anything against bacon. In fact, I deeply enjoy turkey bacon cooked until almost black so that it dissolves in your mouth with a little syrup or scrambled eggs. And, I think, most students like bacon too. In an effort to encourage quiche skeptics to enjoy this easy, economical brunch, breakfast or dinner treat I have omitted the fact that this quiche includes spinach as well as bacon. Yes spinach, which happens to be abundant in spring and therefor most grocery stores are all but giving the stuff away. Of course, I usually use frozen spinach (defrosted and wrung out) which is incredibly cheap and handy. If you're waist-line wary like myself using low-fat mayonnaise and a blend of whole and low-fat cheese as well as turkey bacon is an option. Disclaimer: fat-free anything resembles rubber in my book so I steer away from it.

I am also a champion for homemade pie crust at all costs but, in the interest of being a progressive blog let homemade pastry be a hurtle we come to together later. For now, take a deep breath and put one of those frozen crusts from the cheese and butter section into your basket.

Serves 6-8 slices

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie shell, defrosted gently
*1 aluminum pie plate if you don't own a glass or ceramic one already

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups Swiss or American cheese
1/3 cup onion, diced finely
4-5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup cooked spinach, drained
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Roll out the pie crust and fit to the pie plate. Lift the dough gently as you press it so that it conforms to the curve of the pan. You can crimp the crust one of two ways or not at all:
a. Using a fork press the fork down on top of the lip of the pan. Then, using a sharp knife run the blade along the edge of the pan to remove the excess dough.
b. Using your thumbs (side by side) press the pods of your thumbs down and together to create a small ridge between them. The, using a sharp knife run the blade along the edge of the pan to remove the excess dough.
3. Peel and dice the onions finely. Crumble the bacon and spinach and set onions, bacon and spinach aside. In another bowl whisk the eggs with a fork.
4. In a large saucepan add the mayonnaise, milk, eggs, cornstarch, cheese, onion, bacon and spinach. Heat over medium heat until the cheese is melted and all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour ingredients into the pie shell and bake for 45 minutes. The quiche will be done when the crust is golden and the egg is firm and set and browning nicely in places. Allow the quiche to cool before cutting. Serve warm or chilled.