Springtime Quiche

Asher and I made a quiche for the first Easter that we spent together.  It was 2012 and I was visiting CT for a long weekend to see him and get some wedding planning done.  He was living in the basement of a family's house and while they were off to Easter lunch, we got to play house in their kitchen.  Back then (and arguably still, depending on who you ask) Asher was a much better cook than me.  He watched a lot of cooking shows and learned many, many skills from Alton Brown.  

Even still, when he said we were going to make a quiche, I didn't have a whole lot of faith.  We had so much fun that day cooking together and drinking mimosas.  The quiche was ham and cheese with a store bought crust, but it tasted delicious.

Fast forward 9 years and I decided to recreate that quiche for Easter this year.  I made my first homemade pie crust and added mushrooms and onions.  It turned out great and i'm thinking Easter quiche should be an every year tradition.

I used Ina Garten's Perfect Pie Crust recipe, which was incredibly delicious, but there are also great pre-made options which save a lot of time.  

Fun fact:  these eggs were fresh from our friends chickens :) - thanks Deckers from North Canton!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium-low heat and cook the onions until nice and caramelized (~15-20 mins); transfer to a small bowl
3. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of butter to the same pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until they are lightly browned 
4. Add the onions back to the pan and then add the ham, thyme, garlic, and dry mustard; season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, remove from heat
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half
6. Assemble the quiche:  add the gruyere to the bottom of the pie crust, top with the ham, onion, and mushroom mixture, top with the egg mixture 
7. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet, and cook for 45 minutes
8. Remove the foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the quiche is set and the crust is lightly browned
9. Serve sliced and topped with scallions and grated parmesan

Pro tip: quiche is a great meal prep item and it re-heats well.  Asher had the leftovers for breakfast throughout the following week and it was delicious all over again!

I'm telling you, this quiche is so good.  The salty ham with the gruyere is the perfect combination and the mushroom and onions are an added bonus.  What is your favorite kind of quiche?