Champagne Brunch

Is there any meal out there more amazing than brunch?

I didn't think so.

The possibilities are endless... breakfast foods, lunch foods, coffee, champagne. Amazing! According to some extensive research on Wikipedia I have learned that the phrase was first used in Britain around 1896 in Hunter's Weekly, but there seems to be some debate on if that was actually the first reference. If you care to read more you can check out the article here.

With the weekend only hours away I thought you all might enjoy a classic quiche recipe to try the next time you are hosting a Sunday (or Saturday!) brunch. This recipe is for a basic cheese quiche but there are endless possibilities for what you can add. A rule of thumb to always remember when adding fillings to a quiche: If you put it in raw it will come out raw. Since quiche is an egg custard the temperatures will not get hot enough to cook the bacon, ham or broccoli you want to add. So if you decide to add anything additional to the recipe just make sure to cook it first :)

For this recipe we are just going to focus on the filling so feel free to use your favorite pie crust recipe! You will want to pre bake your crust so that it is just about golden brown. This will keep you from ending up with a beautiful custard and a soggy crust.

Ingredients (for a 9 inch quiche)
2 1/2 cups of half and half
5 eggs
2 tablespoon of salt (more or less depending on your preference - remember you are not just seasoning the top of the liquid but the entire quiche)
2 tablespoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
4 tablespoons of mustard plus more to brush on bottom of crust
1 cup of grated cheese (mozzarella and gruyere work well)

Optional additional ingredients (ham, bacon, spinach)

Directions
Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl
Add the half and half and whisk until well mixed
Add in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard and give a quick whisk

Take your pre baked crust and brush a small amount of mustard along the bottom. Put 3/4 of your cheese in the bottom (and 3/4 of your other toppings). Fill the crust with the egg mixture leaving about 1/8 inch along the top. Add additional cheese to the top (and the rest of your other toppings)

Bake at 375* for 35-45 minutes or until the egg mixture has set!

Quiche is best served warm and not pipping hot out of the oven :) and goes well with any champagne based beverage.

A personal sized quiche!

Cheers! And have a great weekend.