chorizo and bell pepper quiche
I kind of decided to make quiche my personality this year.
I mean, why not?
Quiche sounds fancy, but it’s actually fairly easy to prepare. It takes some time and patience, yes, but once it’s made all you have to do is throw a slice in the microwave for an easy breakfast.
Plus, it can serve 4 to 8 people easily.
The filling possibilities are endless, but chorizo and bell pepper is one of my favorite combinations. The rich, spicy flavor of chorizo is unbeatable with eggs and the peppers are the perfect touch of added fresh flavor. I love Monterey Jack cheese with it, but you could swap (or add) pepperjack if you want even more spice.
If you’re in a rush, skip the homemade crust and buy one from the store. If you do have the time, give the crust a try — you’ll be surprised with how easy it is and, more importantly, how much better it tastes.
And if you don’t have a food processor, A: Get one, or B: just make it by hand. You’ll need a pastry cutter to fold the butter into the flour and a little more patience to knead the water into the dough. It’ll take 10 extra minutes, but will come together all the same.
So, if you too want to become a quiche extraordinaire, start here (or here, with bacon and Boursin), and fall in love with the eggy pie just like I did.
Serves 8 slices
INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed
¼ cup cold water
For the filling:
1 tablespoon oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
7 ounces chorizo, or 1 link
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
RECIPE
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter pieces in a food processor. Pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces.
Add the water and blend until a dough ball forms.
Transfer to a work surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F.
Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and press into a pie or tart tin.
Add parchment to the bottom, then fill with pie weights or beans.
Blind bake for 20 minutes, then remove the pie weights and parchment.
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil.
Add the bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and add chorizo. Crumble into small pieces until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper until very smooth.
Add the pepper and chorizo to the baked quiche shell. Pour the egg mixture on top. Sprinkle the entire top with cheese.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until quiche is jiggly, but not wet.
Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.
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