We have now reached the point in which a regular pie pan doesn’t feed our whole family, so I am essentially making deep dish quiches.
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but it was awesome, so I’ll share so that you can make it, too.
Veggie Quiche with chard & chevre
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch rainbow chard, finely chopped
- 16 oz butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup plain almond milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 oz flavored goat cheese (ie Cypress Grove Sgt Pepper)
- 1 pie crust
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped chard, butternut squash, oil, milk, eggs and salt.
Press a pie crust into a greased baking dish. I used a staub that holds 1.25 quarts (roughly 9.5×6.5) but use whatever pan shape you have that will hold it all.
Pour the inside filling into the pie crust then add cheese in large chunks and crumbles over the top, pushing some down a bit so it’s not all exposed (that way there will be cheese throughout the quiche but it will still get that golden crust on the top).
Bake for 1 hour (plus more as needed). The timing will depend on the depth of your dish as well as if your squash was frozen or cooked or not. I used frozen squash because I didn’t have time to chop and cook it beforehand (I’d already used up the squash I had prepped for the week). Frozen butternut squash is such a great option for times like this! I often forget about frozen produce but who doesn’t need a short cut when trying to get a home cooked meals on the table on a weeknight.
Ta-da!
Let it cool a bit before slicing in, but it will be hard because it will smell goooooood.
I normally don’t buy cheeses with “stuff” in them. But hear me out.
If there were ever a time to do it, this would be the time.
The thing about a flavored cheese is it lends itself SO WELL to an otherwise plain list of ingredients.
So you can go in virtually any direction! This chevre had chilies, curry and harissa in it. Not a combo I’d usually touch, but with eggs, butternut squash and chard, it jazzes the dish right up!
I legit managed to feed our family of four an entire bunch of chard in one sitting! Not exactly launching a rocket to space, but a small feat nonetheless. Chard is probably their least favorite green, to be honest, but combined with cheese and squash and flaky pie crust…all I heard was chewing and “mmmm”s.
Do you have a pie crust recipe that you love? The one I made here was dreamy, but of course I didn’t write it down (doh!). It was similar to this one with all purpose flour and Earth Balance. That said, there’s nothing wrong with store bought pie dough.
Here it is after I have pressed it down into the dish. Doesn’t have to be perfect. We are all about that “rustic” look, right?
And now here it is after I’ve poured the egg and veggie mix into the (unbaked) pie crust and left dollops of goat cheese over the top layer.
Fresh out of the oven! Smelling divine…
This was such a cinch to prep. The longest step was basically making the pie dough, which you could basically eliminate if you bought dough. You could also use puff pastry or just skip the crust altogether. I would probably serve something else on the side in that case, like a nice sourdough or some cornbread muffins, to round out the meal, but you do you!
Prepare yourself to not have any leftovers though.
I also love that you can make this ahead of time and then warm it up before serving. For that reason, it’s pretty versatile. In addition to being awesome for busy week nights, this would be a really good brunch item to bring to an Easter potluck or serve to house guests because you can make it in advance.
