Mom Blogs: Christmas Quiche Lorraine

My mom shared this story and recipe from our Christmas morning brunch--Quiche Lorraine. For a change from my usual habits, the only things I did to help with this "pie" were take photos and eat-- and it was DELICIOUS! Take it away, mom!

Quiche Lorraine is a pie-loving family's choice for Christmas brunch. Our breakfast tradition is a collaboration between the men and women of the family. Grant slow-cooks the bacon to seal the flavor, reasoning that slightly undercooking the bacon ensures the perfect flavor. Joe grates the cheese and dices the onion.

We often debate the choice of cheese. I always pick Gruyere, instead of the standard Swiss. Joe and Grant lean toward sharp Cheddar. I however, don't completely assert my preference for fear of losing my kitchen help. Instead, we compromise, and the cheese and onion selections are a surprise waiting for me after I prepare the crust. This year Joe presented red onion.

I've abandoned my Crisco crust recipe inherited from my mother and grandmother for Emily's Nothing-in-the-House all-butter crust. The recipe we used this year, adapted from my disintegrating Betty Crocker Cookbook follows. I used this same recipe for my first quiche on Christmas morning, 1975-- 37 years ago.

Quiche Lorraine
Adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients
Nothing-in-the-House pie crust, halved
12 slices of bacon (about 1/2 lb.), crispy or slightly crispy fried and crumbled
1/3 c. Gruyere and 2/3 c. sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/3 c. onion (red or white), diced
5 large eggs
2 c. whipping cream
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions. Let chill while you cook the bacon and grate the cheese.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Once crust dough has been chilled, roll out and fit into a greased and floured 9 or 10-inch quiche or pie pan (We used a 9 1/2-inch quiche pan), fluting decoratively. Sprinkle cooked bacon, cheese, and onion on the bottom of the pastry.

3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly, then beat in the remaining ingredients. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry. Bake 15 minutes.

4. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve in wedges. Makes 6 main course servings or 8 appetizer servings.