Breakfast / Brunch
Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Quiche
Give Mom the best gift this Mother’s Day — time with the family and some seriously good food — with this make-ahead brunch recipe.
The biggest bonus of this pre-prepped feast is that when you start it two days before the big day, you can actually enjoy the meal with Mom. Quiche is the big deal at this brunch. Made in a deep tart pan rather than a typical pie plate, it’s an impressive centerpiece. Bake it up to two days ahead, then reheat it before serving. Don’t cheat and try to eat the quiche the day it’s baked. It needs to be chilled overnight so the super-creamy filling really has a chance to set up properly.
The quiche is so rich that Mom might mistake it for her gift, so pair it with the peppery Arugula Salad (see Test Kitchen Tips for recipe) and a cup (or two!) of the tangy Blueberry Shrub Punch.
Ingredients
FOR THE ONIONS, HEAT:
FOR THE CRUST, COMBINE:
FOR THE CUSTARD, BLEND:
Test Kitchen Tips
If you prefer to eat your quiche at room temperature, chill it overnight, then cut into eight slices and let sit at room temperature 2 hours before serving.
Arugula Salad
Makes 8 servings (8 cups)
Total time: 15 minutes
Whisk together 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp. honey; season with salt and black pepper. Toss vinaigrette with 5 oz. arugula, ½ cup chopped and toasted walnuts, and ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots just before serving.
Instructions
For the onions, heat 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add onions, thyme, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently. (If pan gets too dry, stir in 1–2 Tbsp. water.) Reduce heat to mediumlow and cook onions until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 15–20 minutes; chill.
For the crust, combine 1 cup flour and 1 tsp. salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add 1½ sticks butter and cream cheese; blend on medium-low speed until both are fully incorporated. Add remaining 1 cup flour and 2 Tbsp. ice water. (Add more if the dough doesn’t come together.) Shape dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a 9×2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray.
Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Press dough against bottom and sides of pan; let excess hang over sides.
Freeze crust 20 minutes, then line with parchment paper and dried beans; place on a baking sheet. Bake crust until edges are light golden and bottom is set, 40–45 minutes. Remove beans and parchment, return crust to oven, and bake until bottom is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let crust cool completely. Reduce heat to 325°.
For the custard, blend milk, cream, eggs, 1½ tsp. salt, and nutmeg in a blender until frothy. Scatter half the onions and blue cheese onto bottom of crust. Pour in half the custard. Scatter on remaining onions and blue cheese, then pour in remaining custard.
Bake quiche until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160° and filling is set, about 2 hours. Let quiche cool on a rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then refrigerate up to 2 days before serving.
To serve, preheat oven to 375°. Break overhanging crust from pan’s edge and cut quiche into eight servings. Reheat quiche on a baking sheet until hot, about 20 minutes. (To test if hot, insert a butter knife into center of quiche piece, then touch to your lip.)
So no custard leaks out of the crust, be sure there are no visible pieces of butter or cheese in the dough.
To keep the dough from shrinking, don’t trim it before baking. Gently fold excess over sides of pans.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 640
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 51g 78%
Saturated Fat 30g 150%
Cholesterol 286mg 95%
Sodium 832mg 34%
Carbs 32g 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 13g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.